title: A case-control study on a novel DNA virus (TT virus) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma. The Brescia HCC Study.
abstract: We performed a case-control study to evaluate the association of a new human DNA virus named TT virus (TTV) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We recruited 174 subjects hospitalized for HCC (84% males; mean age: 64 years) and 118 patients hospitalized for non-liver diseases in Brescia, northern Italy, as controls (94% males; mean age: 66 years). TTV DNA was found in serum by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 26 cases (15%) and 11 controls (9.3%) (P >. 1). TTV group 2 infection was identified in 16 cases (61.5%) and 4 controls (36.4%) (P >.1) using a type-specific PCR method. Sequence analysis of 222 nt of TTV DNA demonstrated that the remaining 10 cases and 7 controls were all infected by group 1. The odds ratio (OR) for TTV-DNA positivity, adjusted for demographic variables, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, and heavy alcohol intake was 1.8 (95% CI: 0.7-4.8; P >.1). The OR did not change when the analysis was restricted to 14 HCC cases and 56 controls who were negative for each known risk factor for HCC (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 0.8-4.0). TTV-DNA positivity was not associated with transfusion history. The prevalence of TTV DNA was higher among HCC cases positive for HBsAg (10 of 38 [26.3%]) than among those positive for HCV RNA (8 of 62 [12.9%]) or negative for hepatitis B virus (HBV), HCV, and hepatitis G virus (HGV) infections (5 of 62 [8. 1%]) (P =.02). This study does not support the hypothesis of an association between TTV infection and HCC.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Virologia, Biochimiche e Cellulari dell'Università di Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tagger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donato
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ribero
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Binelli
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gelatti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Portera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albertini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fasola
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chiesa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral