Prevalence of TT virus before and after blood transfusion in patients with chronic liver disease treated surgically for hepatocellular carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
To examine the prevalence of TT virus (TTV) before and after blood transfusion, we retrospectively examined serum samples obtained from 55 patients who received blood transfusions before, during and after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma.


METHODS
TT virus DNA was extracted from serum samples and detected by nested polymerase chain reaction. Before transfusion, seven (12.7%) were positive for TTV. Patients were transfused whole blood or separated blood components (fresh frozen plasma, platelet and/or red blood cells), the total amount of transfused fresh frozen plasma ranging from 12 to 271 (median 38) units.


RESULTS
Seven (14.6%) of the 48 TTV-negative patients became positive for TTV-DNA 1 month after transfusion. Only one of the seven patients, who was already positive for HCV-RNA, exhibited elevation of alanine aminotransferase. Five of the newly infected seven patients become negative for TTV during a 2 year follow up.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the proportion of patients with TTV was relatively high in this sample, and that the prevalence of TTV transmission by blood components was also relatively high (14.6%). Although TTV persisted for more than 6 months in some patients, infection was not noticeable during the course of chronic liver disease.
Kobayashi
M
M
Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Chayama
K
K
Arase
Y
Y
Kobayashi
M
M
Tsubota
A
A
Suzuki
Y
Y
Koida
I
I
Saitoh
S
S
Murashima
N
N
Ikeda
K
K
Koike
H
H
Hashimoto
M
M
Kobayashi
M
M
Kumada
H
H
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral