Presence and significance of transfusion-transmitted virus infection in Iranian patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
OBJECTIVE
Transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV), a recently discovered DNA virus, was first identified in patients with non-A to -G hepatitis following blood transfusion. Transmission is generally via the parenteral route but recent data suggest that TTV can also be transmitted by the fecal-oral route.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2005 and included 324 patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) at 3 different centers in Tabriz, Iran. Demographic and clinical data were recorded. Blood samples for virological and biochemical tests were drawn simultaneously. TTV DNA was detected using semi-nested polymerase chain reaction. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase were also measured.


RESULTS
Overall seroprevalence of TTV was 9.3% (95% confidence interval, 6.1-12.5%). Prevalence rates of hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C virus antibody, and hepatitis E virus antibody were 4.6% (15/324), 20.4% (66/324), and 7.4% (24/324), respectively. Patients were negative for human immunodeficiency virus antibody. There was no association between TTV infection and elevated ALT levels. TTV-positive patients were significantly younger than TTV-negative patients (p=0.018). There was no significant association between TTV positivity and age, gender, duration of HD, positivity for hepatitis B, C, or E virus infection markers, and history of transfusion and transplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed low TTV prevalence and no association between TTV and blood-borne infections in our HD patients. TTV infection was not related to elevated levels of liver enzymes; however, the clinical impact of this virus need further investigations.
Kheradpezhouh
Maryam
M
National Research Department of Foodborne Diseases, Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran. mkherad@hotmail.com
Taremi
Mahnaz
M
Gachkar
Latif
L
Aghabozorgi
Sohrab
S
Khoshbaten
Manouchehr
M
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase