TT virus infection in Iranian patients with autoimmune hepatitis and their controls

ABSTRACT

TT virus is a newly described DNA virus that was first detected in the blood of patients with elevated serum aminotransferases following transfusion who were tested negatively for all known hepatitis viruses. This study aimed to elucidate the significance of TTV infection in Iranian patients with autoimmune hepatitis.Sera from 90 patients with autoimmune hepatitis and 90 healthy controls were assayed for TTV DNA using a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction. Moreover, demographic and paraclinical features of patients were evaluated.TTV DNA was detected in ten [11.1%] of patients with autoimmune hepatitis, versus four [4.4%] in control group, however, no significant difference was found between two groups [NS].According to our results, although the prevalence of TTV as a pathogenic organism in autoimmune hepatitis