TTV prevalence in Ahwaz blood donors by using semi-nested PCR

ABSTRACT

Occurrence of new infectious agents threatens access to zero risk in blood transfusion and enhancement of blood safety. Although sensitive methods are available for diagnosis of hepatitis, yet some hepatitis cases do not have a known etiology. In 1997, the novel DNA virus was isolated from post-transfusion serum samples of patients affected by non-A-G hepatitis. Nowadays this novel virus is known as transfusion-transmitted virus. This circular single stranded unenveloped and virucidally resistant virus is the first human circovirus and has universal distribution. It is believed that TTV may cause hepatitis and aplastic anemia. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of TTV in healthy blood donors in Ahwaz and set up N22 PCR for subsequent first-time viral studies in south region in Iran. In 2003, We studied the presence of TTV DNA by using Okamoto primers with PCR in plasma of blood donors in whom serologic tests for hepatitis A-C and HIV-Ab were negative. Our study showed that the virus prevalence in blood donors was 23.7% [60/253] and there was not any significant differences between prevalence of TTV and background variables. Our findings showed the same prevalence rate as in neighboring countries; however, in comparison with thalassemic patients that were studied in parallel with the present research, the difference was significant [143/250; 57.3%]. It shows the importance of blood transfuison in transmission of the virus