Transfusion-transmitted virus co-infection in other types of hepatitis and its genotypes

<正> OBJECTIVE: To identify the influence of transfusion transmitted virus (TTV) co-infection in other virusinfected patients and its genotypes.METHODS: A conservative sequence of ORFl in the TTV genome was selected as primers and TTV DNAwas measured in students and other hepatitis patients by using microplate nucleic acid hybridization andELISA. The results were statistically analyzed. Nucleotide sequence of divergence >50% was used ascolor probe for distinguishing TTV genotypesⅠorⅡ.RESULTS: TTV DNA was detected in the sera from 2 (3.3%) of 60 students, 2 (14.3%) of 14patients with non A-non E hepatitis, 6 (12%) of 50 patients with chronic hepatitis B, and 4 (16%) of25 patients with liver cirrhosis, respectively. Statistical difference was observed between the patientgroup and the student group (P<0.05), but no significant difference in age, gender, serum ALT levelsand TBiL between TTV DNA positive and negative patients (P>0.05). TTV genotype Type Ⅰ was by farthe most frequent viral genotype (66.7%), followed by type Ⅱ (25%), and mixed infection (8.3%).CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the routes of TTV infection may be similar to those of HBVand HCV, and concurrent infection with HBV, HCV are common. TTV co-infection could not affect theclinical features of patients with liver diseases and the pathological process. TTV is not a main causativefactor for patients with non A-non E hepatitis. Further study is needed to clarify the role of TTV inpatients with non A-non E hepatitis.