Molecular detection of TT virus and SEN virus infections in hemodialysed patients and blood donors in south of Iran.

Background: SEN virus (SEN-V) and TT virus (TTV) have been classified in the circoviridae family. Both are single-stranded, non-enveloped DNA viruses of about 3800 nucleotides. Patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) have a high risk of blood-borne viral infections. SEN-V and TTV has been reported from a number of HD units from various countries throughout the world. Materials and Methods: A total of 377 blood samples obtained from 150 healthy donors and 227 HD patients were collected at the HD center. SEN-V and TTV DNA was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all samples. Results: TTV was detected in 109 (48.01%) of 227 hemodialysed patients and 14 (9.33%) of 150 voluntary blood donors (significant, P < 0.05). The PCR results for SEN-V-D/H DNA showed that 65 (28.63%) were positive for SEN-V-D and 33 (14.53%) were positive for SEN-V-H. 9.69% of 227 patients were positive for SEN-V-D/H co-infection. In the control group, SEN-V-D was detected in 14 (9.33%) and SEN-V-H was detected in 15 (10%) of the 150 (100%) blood donors. Conclusion: These findings show that the prevalence of SEN-V-D/H and TTV is higher than healthy blood donors. Also, these results indicate that the prevalence of SEN-V and TTV infections in our region is similar with that in other countries.

The high prevalence of Torque teno virus DNA in blood donors and haemodialysis patients in southern Brazil

This study investigates the frequency of Torque teno virus (TTV) infection in 150 blood donors and 77 patients requiring haemodialysis in southern Brazil. Plasma samples were screened for TTV DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prevalences of TTV among blood donors and patients requiring haemodialysis were 73.3% and 68.8%, respectively. The presence of TTV was correlated with age in the blood donors (p = 0.024). In haemodialysis patients, no association was found between TTV infection and the demographic parameters (age, sex and education), the duration of haemodialysis or a history of blood transfusion. This study is the first to evaluate the prevalence of TTV infection in Brazilian patients requiring haemodialysis.

Prevalência e diversidade genética do torque teno vírus em pacientes com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico em serviço de referência no Mato Grosso do Sul / Prevalence and genetic diversity of torque teno virus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in a reference service in Mato Grosso do Sul

Estudos recentes sobre o torque teno vírus (TTV), gênero Anellovirus, permitiram construir a hipótese de que esse vírus pode ser um desencadeante ou tenha algum papel patogênico nas doenças reumáticas autoimunes. OBJETIVOS: Verificar a frequência da infecção pelo TTV em pacientes com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES), e sua diversidade gênica, a existência de correlação entre a infecção pelo TTV e as manifestações clínicas do LES, sua evolução clínica e o perfil sorológico. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Foram obtidas 46 amostras de soro de pacientes com LES atendidos no Ambulatório de Reumatologia do Hospital Universitário de Campo Grande (NHU/FAMED/UFMS). Para os controles, utilizaram-se 46 amostras de soro de doadores de sangue. O DNA viral foi extraído das amostras utilizando o QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Hilden, Alemanha), e amplificado utilizando a técnica de nested PCR. RESULTADOS: Foi encontrada positividade para o TTV em 17 (37 por cento) dos pacientes lúpicos, e em apenas sete (15,2 por cento) dos controles (teste z, P = 0,03). Não houve correlação entre a infecção pelo TTV, as manifestações clínicas, o perfil sorológico e a evolução clínica dos pacientes avaliados neste estudo. CONCLUSÃO: A presença do TTV nos pacientes com LES necessita ser mais bem compreendida a partir deste estudo inicial.

Recent studies on the torque teno virus (TTV), genus Anellovirus, have allowed formulating the hypothesis that TTV may trigger autoimmune rheumatic diseases or have some pathogenic role in them. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of TTV infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the genetic diversity of TTV, the correlation between TTV infection and SLE clinical manifestations, and SLE clinical course and serological profile. PATIENTS AND METHODS:Serum samples were obtained from 46 SLE patients treated at the University-Affiliated Hospital of Campo Grande (NHU/FAMED/UFMS), Brazil. For controls, serum samples were obtained from 46 healthy volunteer blood donors. Viral DNA was extracted from samples using the QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany) and amplified using nested PCR. RESULTS: Positivity for TTV was found in 17 (37 percent) of SLE patients and in only seven (15.2 percent) of the controls (z test, P = 0.03). There was no correlation between TTV infection, SLE clinical manifestations, SLE clinical course, and the serological profile of the patients evaluated. CONCLUSION: Further studies on the presence of TTV in SLE patients are required.

Research of torque teno virus (TTV) in serum and total blood of Brazilian non-human primates and in chicken plasma (Gallus gallus domesticus) by the PCR N22 region / Investigación de Torque teno virus (TTV) en suero y sangre de primates no humanos brasileños y en plasma de pollo (Gallus gallus domesticus) por PCR en la region N22

Torque teno virus (TTV) is a recently discovered DNA virus that was originally isolated from a Japanese patient (initials, TT) with post-transfusion hepatitis of unknown aetiology. TTV is an circular DNA virus classified recently together with related Torque teño minivirus, into a new genus called Anellovirus. Infection TTV has been detected in a range of non-human primates as well as domestic animals. The purpose of this study was to search TTV in the serum and total blood of Brazilian monkeys and in plasma of domestic chickens by seminested PCR of coding region (N22), followed by a genomic sequence and phylogenetic analysis. No serum sample was amplified. TTV DNA was detected in total blood from 3 (4 percent) out of 75 brown-capuchin (Cebus apella) and from 1 (25 percent) out of 4 golden-headed lion-tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that one sample showed similarity with one sequence of the cotton top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) (So-TTV2) and with one of the douroucoulis (ão tes trivirgatus) (At-TTV3). Two samples showed similarity with a human Torque Teño Mini Virus (TLMV). The other sample clustered with one sequence of the chimpanzee (Pt-TTV6) and with the human TTV strain TA278. The plasma chicken samples tested were all negative. The amino acid sequences reported in this study are the first obtained in Brazil from total blood of non-human primates naturally infected by TTV.

Torque teno virus (TTV) es un virus de ADN recientemente descubierto que fue inicialmente aislado de un paciente japonés (iniciales TT) después de la transfusión de hepatitis de etiología desconocida. TTV es un virus de ADN circular recientemente clasificado junto con los torque teno minivirus, en un nuevo género llamado Anellovirus. La infección de TTV se ha detectado en una serie de primates no humanos, así como animales domésticos. El objetivo de este estudio fue buscar TTV en el suero y sangre total de monos de Brasil y en el plasma de pollos domésticos, por seminested PCR de la región de codificación (N22), seguido de una secuencia genómica y el análisis filogenético. Las muestras que no eran suero fueron amplificadas. TTV DNA se detectó en sangre total de 3 (4 por ciento) de un total de 75 capuchinos de cabeza dura (Cebus apella) y de 1 (25 por ciento) de un total de 4 tití- león de cabeza dorada (Leontopithecus chrysomelas). El análisis filogenético demostró que una muestra presentaba similitud con una secuencia de Saguinus Edipo (So-TTV2) y con una de Aotes trivirgatus (A-TTV3). Dos muestras mostraron similitud con un torque teno mini virus (TLMV) humano. La otra muestra agrupada con una secuencia de los chimpancés (PT-TTV6) y con el TTV humanos cepa TA278. El análisis de las muestras de plasma de pollo fueron negativas Las secuencias de aminoácidos que se reportan en este estudio son las primeras obtenidas en Brasil de sangre de primates no humanos infectados naturalmente por TTV.

TT virus infection in children and adults who visited a general hospital in the south of Brazil for routine procedure

TT virus (TTV) is a newly described nonenveloped human virus, with a circular, negative-stranded DNA genome, that was first identified in the blood of a patient with posttransfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology. PCR primers and conditions used for TTV DNA amplification may greatly influence the level of TTV detection in serum. Three PCR assays, with different regions of the genome as targets, were used to test TTV DNA in 130 sera from children and adults visiting a hospital in the south of Brazil, most of them for routine procedure. Forty-four percent of adult sera and 73 percent of sera from children aged 0-10 years were TTV positive with at least one PCR assay. However, the three assays were able to detect only 33 percent, 35 percent, and 70 percent of the total positive samples. Our results showed a high prevalence of TTV infection in the south of Brazil, particularly among young children, and confirmed the necessity of performing several PCR assays to assess the true TTV prevalence in a determined population

TT virus infection in intravenous drug users.

Our group has investigated 201 intravenous drug users for the presence of TTV DNA by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The majority of the individuals tested were male, their age ranging from 16 to 63 years, and the duration of intravenous drug use from one to 40 years. TTV DNA was present in 62 of the 201 IVDUs (30.8%) with its prevalence on the ascent between the age groups below 20 and those between 21 and 30 years, as well as between the groups below 60 and between 60 to 120 months' duration of drug intake, respectively. When tested again after 9 months, nine IVDU (23.7%) were found TTV negative by PCR hinting at potential immunological clearance. Our control group comprised 200 healthy blood donors, 7% of whom were found to harbor TTV DNA in an age-dependent fashion, as observed with the IVDU. From the liver function tests performed we could not detect any statistically significant difference regarding ALT elevation observed in TTV-positive compared with TTV-negative individuals. To date, TTV does not appear to cause any serious liver disease in the majority of cases examined.

Insufficient evidence of TT-viral etiology of post hepatitis aplastic anemia.

Post-hepatitis aplastic anemia is a rather rare pathologic condition of as yet unclear etiology especially as hepatitis viruses A to G have been excluded as the potential agents responsible. The novel TT virus, a single-stranded DNA virus first isolated from the serum of a patient with post-transfusion hepatitis in Japan might cause this condition. Therefore, our group subjected the sera of two children with post-hepatitis aplastic anemia to semi-nested PCR using primers specific for detection of TTV DNA. Although TTV DNA was not detectable in either sample it might be speculated that, like hepatitis viruses A to G, TTV could be found associated with this condition whereas it certainly does not constitute its sole etiologic agent.