A novel DNA virus (TTV) associated with elevated transaminase levels in posttransfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology.
By means of representational difference analysis, a viral clone (N22) of 500 nucleotides was isolated from serum of a patient (TT) with posttransfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology. The N22 clone showed a poor homology to any reported sequences. Oligonucleotide primers were deduced from the N22 sequence for detecting it by polymerase chain reaction. N22 sequence in serum banded at a sucrose density of 1.26 g/cm3, indicating its association with a viral particle which was designated TT virus (TTV). Since nucleic acids of TTV were sensitive to DNase I, it would be a DNA virus. TTV DNA was detected in sera from three of the five patients with posttransfusion non-A to G hepatitis, including the index case (TT). TTV DNA titers closely correlated with aminotransferase levels in the three patients. These results indicate that TTV would be a novel DNA virus with a possible capacity to induce posttransfusion non-A to G hepatitis.
Nishizawa
T
T
Immunology Division, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken, 329-04, Japan.
Okamoto
H
H
Konishi
K
K
Yoshizawa
H
H
Miyakawa
Y
Y
Mayumi
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I