The role of TT virus infection in acute viral hepatitis

Recently, transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) was discovered to be a potent ial causative agent for non-A-E hepatitis. Little is known about the relati on between TTV and the clinical courses of various types of acute viral hep atitis. One hundred twenty-five patients with acute viral hepatitis who wer e admitted to the Chiba University Hospital between 1984 and 1998 and 100 p ersons with normal liver function tests were tested for the presence of TTV in their sera. Serum samples were tested for TTV DNA and genotype by polym erase chain reaction (PCR). TTV DNA was detected in 15 of 35 patients (43%) with non-A-E hepatitis, 14 of 33 patients (42%) with hepatitis C, 8 of 28 patients (29%) with hepatitis A, 7 of 29 patients (24%) with hepatitis B, a nd 37 of 100 subjects with normal liver function tests (37%). The detection rate did not differ statistically between non-A-E hepatitis and hepatitis A, B, C, or controls. The distribution of TTV genotypes was similar in non- A-E, A, B, C types, and controls. The clinical characteristics of the acute illnesses were similar for patients with or without TTV in hepatitis non-A -E, A, B, or C. Although TTV was detected frequently in non-A-E acute hepat itis, no etiologic role for TTV could be established.