Hepatitis TT virus infection in high-risk groups

The novel hepatitis TT virus first described by a Japanese group has been r eported to be parenterally transmitted and furthermore, to have been detect ed in patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology. Hence, in the present st udy its prevalence was investigated within groups at high risk for contract ing blood-borne viruses, such as individuals with chronic liver disease, in travenous drug users and recipients of blood and blood products, as compare d to voluntary blood donors and pregnant women. To that end, DNA was extrac ted from sera obtained from the respective patients and subjected to PCR us ing semi-nested primers. The frequency of TTV DNA detected within high risk groups, such as nine out of 50 patients with chronic non-A-to-G liver dise ase (18%), nine out of 98 hepatocellular carcinoma cases (9.2%), 17 out of 52 intravenous drug users (32.7%), 15 out of 80 thalassemia patients with m ultiple blood transfusions (18.8%) and three out of 31 prostitutes (9.7%) e xceeded that among voluntary blood donors and pregnant women, which amounte d to 14 out of 200 (7%) and seven out of 103 (6.8%), respectively. Addition al molecular research should be performed in order to determine its short-, as well as long-term clinical significance.