Cervicovaginal shedding of TT virus in HIV-infected women.
OBJECTIVE
TT virus (TTV) is frequently detected in the serum and in other body fluids of humans. Recently TTV-specific deoxyribonucleic acid has been detected in cervical specimens from apparently healthy women and in seminal fluid, suggesting that sexual transmission may be common.


METHODS
TT virus-deoxyribonucleic acid prevalence was assessed in paired samples of blood and cervical smears from 110 human immunodeficiency virus-positive women. Detection and typing of human papillomavirus (HPV) present in cervical smears was also performed.


RESULTS
The prevalence of TTV-deoxyribonucleic acid in cervical smears was 16.4%, without significant difference (p = 0.81) between HPV-positive (18.6%) and -negative (14.9%) samples. The distribution of high/middle and low-risk HPV types was similar in TTV-positive and -negative samples. On the contrary, women with multiple HPV infections had a significantly higher TTV-deoxyribonucleic acid prevalence (60.0%) than HPV-negative women (p = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
TT virus excretion in the female genital tract of human immunodeficiency virus-infected women is common, further supporting sexual transmission of this virus.
Calcaterra
S
S
National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy.
Zaniratti
M S
MS
Serraino
D
D
Peroni
M
M
Abbate
I
I
Cappiello
G
G
Piselli
P
P
Pavia
C
C
Rezza
G
G
Ippolito
G
G
Capobianchi
M R
MR
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000821:virology*; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology*; D017201:Virus Shedding
D004279:DNA, Viral