title: Up-regulation of the monocyte chemotactic protein-3 in sera from bone marrow transplanted children with torquetenovirus infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Torquetenovirus (TTV) represents a commensal human virus producing life-long viremia in approximately 80% of healthy individuals of all ages. A potential pathogenic role for TTV has been suggested in immunocompromised patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology sustained by strong proinflammatory cytokines.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the sera immunological profile linked to TTV infection in bone marrow transplant (BMT) children with liver injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  TTV infection was assessed in sera from 27 BMT patients with altered hepatic parameters and histological features, by the use of quantitative real-time PCR, along with TTV genogroups and coinfection with HEV. The qualitative and quantitative nature of soluble inflammatory factors was evaluated studying a large set of cytokines using the Bioplex platform. As controls, sera from 22 healthy children negative for serological and molecular hepatitis markers including TTV and HEV, and for autoimmune diseases, were selected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TTV was detected in 81.4% of BMT patients with a viral load ranging from 10(5) to 10(9) copies/mL. All samples were HEV-RNA negative. A pattern of cytokines, IFN-γ, TNF-α, FGF-basic (p<0.01) and MCP-3 (p<0.001) was found significantly highly expressed in TTV-positive patients compared to TTV-negative and controls. Of note, MCP-3 chemokine showed the highest sera concentration independently of the amount of TTV load and the status of immune system deregulation (p<0.001). In this pilot study for the first time, a positive association was found between TTV and increased level of MCP-3 suggesting a indirect role of TTV in liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Nunzia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zanotta
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maximova
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campisciano
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Del Savio
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pizzol
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casalicchio
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berton
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy; Department of Medical Science, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: manola.comar@burlo.trieste.it.
authors.forename: Manola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D054410:Chemokine CCL7 / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007223:Infant; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D054410:Chemokine CCL7
keywords: Bone marrow transplanted children; Liver injury; Monocyte chemotactic protein-3; Torquetenovirus infection