TT virus levels in the plasma of infected individuals with different hepatic and extrahepatic pathology

TT virus (TTV) infection is extremely widespread in the general population. A sensitive real‐time PCR assay was developed that quantitated accurately the most prevalent TTV genotypes in Italy. When used to test 217 individuals for TTV viraemia, the overall prevalence was 94%. Viraemia levels varied widely amongst individual subjects, with no major differences related to gender or age. The highest TTV titres were in haemophiliacs and in patients with non‐A–E hepatitis, but they did not differ from the group with miscellaneous diseases. HIV‐ and HCV‐infected subjects and patients with primary liver diseases had TTV loads similar to those of healthy individuals. J. Med. Virol. 63:189–195, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.