TT virus infection in patients on maintenance hemodialysis in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
TT virus is a novel DNA virus that is associated with posttransfusion hepatitis. The prevalence, risk factors, and clinical significance of TT virus infection were evaluated in patients with chronic renal failure who are on hemodialysis.


METHODS
Nested polymerase chain reaction was used to test for TT virus DNA in the serum of patients on hemodialysis as well as in healthy controls.


RESULTS
TT virus DNA was detected in 15 (20.0%) of the 75 patients on hemodialysis and 10 (13.2%) of the 76 healthy controls (P > 0.05). In chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis, the prevalence of TT virus did not differ according to the duration of hemodialysis or the amount of blood transfusion. The prevalence of TT virus was higher in IgG anti-hepatitis B core antibody-positive patients than IgG anti-hepatitis B core antibody-negative patients (27.5% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.03). Two (13.3%) of the 15 TT virus-positive and 6 (10.0%) of the 60 TT virus-negative patients showed elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
TT virus infection did not occur more frequently in patients on hemodialysis than in healthy controls. No relationship was found between TT virus infection and liver disease. The correlation between TT virus infection and IgG anti-hepatitis B core antibody suggests that TT virus may share some routes of transmission with hepatitis B virus.
Choi
Moon Seok
MS
Division of Gastroenterology and Division of Nephrology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Jun Haeng
JH
Koh
Kwang Cheol
KC
Lee
Joon Hyoek
JH
Paik
Seung Woon
SW
Rhee
Poong-Lyul
PL
Rhee
Jong Chul
JC
Choi
Kyoo Wan
KW
Huh
Woo-Sung
WS
Oh
Ha-Young
HY
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*