[Clinical significance of gene quasispecies of transfusion transmitted virus].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical significance of gene variant of transfusion transmitted virus (TTV).


METHODS
A nested polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR) assay with specific primers from open reading frame one (ORF1) of TTV genome was established to detect TTV DNA in the serum samples from patients with hepatitis B and blood donors. Asymmetric PCR was established to get single strand DNA in the TTV DNA positive cases, and then single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) was applied.


RESULTS
1.25 +/- 0.50, 1.60 +/- 0.55, 3.36 +/- 1.36 and 4.59 +/- 1.83 SSCP bands were detected in the blood donors, chronic HBV carriers, chronic hepatitis B patients and chronic severe hepatitis B patients respectively. SSCP bands were much more complicated in chronic hepatitis patients and chronic severe hepatitis than those of chronic HBV carriers and blood donors (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There is gene variant in TTV infection. The complication of gene variant strain or quasispecies infection of TTV may be one of the causes responsible for clinical exacerbation of TTV superinfection in chronic hepatitis patients.
Hou
Zhou-hua
ZH
Infectious Disease Research Institute, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
Tan
De-ming
DM
Liu
Shui-ping
SP
D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D015163:Superinfection; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000235:genetics*
D004279:DNA, Viral