ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: TT virus (TTV), isolated initially from a Japanese patient with posttransfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology, was suggested to be a new causative agent of hepatitis. However, it has been found to infect both healthy and diseased individuals and numerous studies have raised questions about its pathogenic role in hepatitis. In order to study its prevalence and clinical impact on hepatitis, we assessed the frequency of TTV DNA. METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from 60 cases of the controls, 77 cases of chronic liver diseases, 44 cases of hemodialyzed patients, and 65 cases of transfused patients. TTV DNA was detected using nested polymerase chain reaction and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were measured. RESULTS: TTV DNA was detected in 41.7% of the controls, 51.9% of patients with chronic liver diseases, 68.2% of hemodialyzed patients and 61.5% of transfused patients. Comparison between patients with or without TTV revealed no significant differences in AST, ALT, and HBsAg test results. CONCLUSION: The prevalance of TTV infection in patients with chronic liver diseases was similar to that in the controls. TTV infection was not related to abnormal liver function findings and HBsAg positivity. We found no relationship between TTV infection and chronic liver diseases.