Prevalence of TT virus before and after blood transfusion in patients withchronic liver disease treated surgically for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: To examine the prevalence of TT virus (TTV)? before and after b lood transfusion, we retrospectively examined serum samples obtained from 5 5 patients who received blood transfusions before, during and after resecti on of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: TT virus DNA was extracted from serum samples and detected by nest ed polymerase chain reaction. Before transfusion, seven (12.7%) were positi ve for TTV. Patients were transfused whole blood or separated blood compone nts (fresh frozen plasma, platelet and/or red blood cells), the total amoun t of transfused fresh frozen plasma ranging from 12 to 271 (median 38) unit s. Results: Seven (14.6%) of the 48 TTV-negative patients became positive for TTV-DNA 1 month after transfusion. Only one of the seven patients, who was already positive for HCV-RNA, exhibited elevation of alanine aminotransfera se. Five of the newly infected seven patients become negative for TTV durin g a 2 year follow up. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the proportion of patients with TTV was relatively high in this sample, and that the prevalence of TTV transmis sion by blood components was also relatively high (14.6%). Although TTV per sisted for more than 6 months in some patients, infection was not noticeabl e during the course of chronic liver disease.