TT virus infection in patients with chronic hepatitis B and response of TTV to lamivudine.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the responses of TT virus (TTV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) to a long-term lamivudine therapy.


METHODS
Sixteen patients infected with both TTV and HBV were treated with lamivudine 100 mg daily for 30 months. Blood samples were drawn at the beginning of the therapy and subsequently at month 3, 6, 9, 12 and 30. Serum TTV was quantified by real time PCR and serum HBV was detected by hybridization assay and nested polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
TTV infection was detected in 100 % of HBV-infected patients. Loss of serum TTV DNA after one year of treatment occurred in 1/16 (6 %) patients. At the end of therapy, TTV DNA was positive in 94 % of them. The decline of HBV viremia was evident at 3 months after therapy and the response rate was 31 %, 44 %, 63 %, 50 % and 50 % at month 3, 6, 9, 12 and 30, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
TTV replication is not sensitive to lamivudine and is highly prevalent in HBV-infected patients.
Garcia
Javier Moreno
JM
Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Ramony Cajal, Ctra. Colmenar, Km 9.1, 28034 Madrid, Spain.
Marugan
Rafael Barcena
RB
Garcia
Gloria Moraleda
GM
Lindeman
M Luisa-Mateos
ML
Abete
Jesus Fortun
JF
Terron
Santos Del-Campo
SD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine