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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 1999, p. 1829-1831, Vol. 37, No. 6
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

High Prevalence of TT Virus Infection in Healthy Children and Adults and in Patients with Liver Disease in Taiwan

Sen-Yung Hsieh,1,2,* Yin-Hua Wu,1,2 Yu-Pin Ho,1 Kuo-Chien Tsao,3 Chau-Ting Yeh,1 and Yun-Fan Liaw1

Liver Research Unit1 and Department of Clinical Pathology,3 Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Chang Gung University,2 Taipei, Republic of Taiwan

Received 17 December 1998/Returned for modification 2 February 1999/Accepted 4 March 1999

A newly identified DNA virus, named TT virus (TTV), was found to be related to transfusion-associated hepatitis. We conducted the following experiments to evaluate its pathogenic role in liver disease and potential modes of transmission. We used PCR to detect TTV DNA in serum. The rates of TTV viremia in 13 patients with idiopathic acute hepatitis, 14 patients with idiopathic fulminant hepatitis, 22 patients with chronic hepatitis, and 19 patients with cirrhosis of the liver were 46, 64, 55, and 63%, respectively, and were not significantly different from those in 50 healthy control subjects (53%). PCR products derived from seven patients with liver disease and three healthy controls were cloned and then subjected to phylogenetic analyses, which failed to link a virulent strain of TTV to severe liver disease. TTV infection was further assessed in an additional 148 subjects with normal liver biochemical tests, including 30 newborns (sera collected from the umbilical cord), 23 infants, 16 preschool children, 21 individuals of an age prior to that of sexual experience (aged 6 to 15 years), 15 young adults (aged under 30 years), and 43 individuals older than 30 years. The rates of TTV viremia were 0, 17, 25, 33, 47, and 54%, respectively. These findings suggest that TTV is transmitted mainly via nonparenteral daily contact and frequently occurs very early in life and that TTV infection does not have a significant effect on liver disease.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Liver Research Unit, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 199 Tung-Hwa North Rd., Taipei, Taiwan 155. Phone: 886-3-3281200, ext. 8107. Fax: 886-3-3272236. E-mail: siming{at}adm.cgmh.com.tw.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 1999, p. 1829-1831, Vol. 37, No. 6
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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