Prevalence and genomic variability of transfusion transmitted virus in Italian cryptogenic chronic liver disease and healthy blood donors.
BACKGROUND
Infection with transfusion transmitted virus, a new member of the Parvoviridae family, has been found in patients both with chronic and fulminant post-transfusion cryptogenic hepatitis.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence and clinical impact of transfusion transmitted virus infection in Italy.


METHODS
Studies were carried out on 256 patients and control subjects from three centres from Northern, Central and Southern Italy (92 nonA-nonC chronic hepatitis, 10 acute non fulminant cryptogenic hepatitis, 41 hepatitis C virus-related chronic hepatitis and 113 blood donors). Serum transfusion transmitted virus was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction using two overlapping sets of primers.


RESULTS
A total of 52 of the 92 patients (54.3%) with chronic cryptogenic liver disease and 17 of the 41 hepatitis C virus chronic hepatitis patients (41.4%) were transfusion transmitted virus-DNA positive. Transfusion transmitted virus co-infection in hepatitis C virus patients was not associated with either a higher severity of liver histology or higher alanine transaminase levels or signs of cholestasis, transfusion transmitted virus was found in 48 out of 113 (42.4%) blood donors. In the majority of samples, transfusion transmitted virus DNA was detected with only one of the two sets of primers used. Genotyping and phylogenetic analysis performed on 21 randomly selected viral isolates showed the presence of both type 1 and type 2 transfusion transmitted virus and allowed identification of two isolates with high homology to genotype 6, described, so far, mostly in Japan.


CONCLUSIONS
Transfusion transmitted virus type 1 and 2 infection is common among blood donors and patients with liver disease in Italy. The pathogenic potential of transfusion transmitted virus type 1 and 2 in nonA-nonC hepatitis patients is unlikely but further studies are needed to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical impact of other transfusion transmitted virus subtypes.
Artini
M
M
Laboratory of Gene Expression, A. Cesalpino Foundation, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Cariani
E
E
Almerighi
C
C
Fulco
M
M
Rossini
A
A
Pietropaolo
L
L
Stivali
G
G
Montalto
G
G
Caratozzolo
M
M
Girelli
G
G
Grimali
E
E
Costanzo
A
A
Levrero
M
M
Balsano
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D004279:DNA, Viral