title: Detection of TTV in peripheral blood cells from patients with altered ALT and AST levels.
abstract: This work analyzes the prevalence of TTV DNA in peripheral blood cells from patients with hepatic alterations and healthy blood donors and measures levels of sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine, phosphatase alkaline, total and direct bilirubin, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in certain randomly selected patients. DNA samples from 111 individuals were evaluated. They were divided into two groups, "A" (study) and "B" (control), including 54 patients with liver enzyme alterations (ALT/AST) presenting non-B-non-C hepatitis and 57 blood donors, respectively. TTV DNA was determined by nested PCR. Certain products of the second-round PCR were sequenced. Serum biochemical assay was performed and disclosed TTV in 31.48% (17/54) of patients in group A and 5.26% (3/57) in the control group B. TTV prevalence was significantly higher in patients with liver disease than in healthy donors. In group A, sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine, phosphatase alkaline, total and direct bilirubin, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were analyzed in certain randomly selected patients and no significant difference in biochemical levels (p>0.05) was found when TTV infected and noninfected individuals were compared. Knowledge related to TTV has rapidly increased, but many fundamental aspects remain unclear. This led us to question the role of TTV and doubt remains as to whether or not it is just a commensal virus. Further studies are necessary to confirm and extend these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Sciences, Biological Sciences Center, Londrina State University, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jaqueline Carvalho
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Thiago Franco
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Nasser
authors.forename: Julie Massayo Maeda
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Mateus Nóbrega
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Juliana Laino do Val
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Décio Sabbatini
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Edna Maria Vissoci
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Reiche
authors.forename: Maria Angelica Ehara
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000821:virology*; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase