Hepatocellular carcinomas infected with the novel TT DNA virus lack viral integration.
A novel DNA virus designated TT virus (TTV) was cloned from a patient with posttransfusion hepatitis and is thought to be a new hepatitis virus. At present, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are known to induce hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). But, actually, in Japan approximately 5 to 10% of HCCs are in HBV-negative and HCV-negative (NBNC) patients. In order to study the possible role of TTV in hepatocarcinogenesis, we investigated the frequency of the TTV genome in liver tissue of 20 HCC patients. As a result, 3 of 8 NBNC HCC patients and 5 of 12 HBV- or HCV-associated HCC patients were TTV positive, and TTV was shown not to be specific for NBNC HCC. For all TTV-positive patients, we also confirmed that the TTV genome was not integrated into host hepatocyte DNA.
Yamamoto
T
T
Department of Experimental Pathology, Cancer Institute, Kami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-8455, Japan.
Kajino
K
K
Ogawa
M
M
Gotoh
I
I
Matsuoka
S
S
Suzuki
K
K
Moriyama
M
M
Okubo
H
H
Kudo
M
M
Arakawa
Y
Y
Hino
O
O
D000368:Aged; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016662:Virus Integration
D004279:DNA, Viral