A case-control study on a novel DNA virus (TT virus) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma

We performed a case-control study to evaluate the association of a new huma n DNA virus named TT virus (TTV) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), We re cruited 174 subjects hospitalized for HCC (84% males; mean age: 64 years) a nd 118 patients hospitalized for non-liver diseases in Brescia, northern It aly, as controls (94% males; mean age: 66 years). TTV DNA was found in seru m by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 26 cases (15%) and 11 controls (9.3 %) (P > .1), TTV group 2 infection was identified in 16 cases (61.5%) and 4 controls (36.4%) (P > .1) using a type-specific PCR method. Sequence analy sis of 222 nt of TTV DNA demonstrated that the remaining 10 cases and 7 con trols were all infected by group 1, The odds ratio (OR) for TTV-DNA positiv ity adjusted for demographic variables, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) , hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, and heavy alcohol intake was 1.8 (95% CI: 0. 7-4.8; P > .1), The OR did not change when the analysis was restricted to 1 4 HCC cases and 56 controls who were negative for each known risk factor fo r HCC (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 0.8-4.0). TN-DNA positivity was not associated wit h transfusion history The prevalence of TTV DNA was higher among HCC cases positive for HBsAg (10 of 38 [26.3%]) than among those positive for HCV RNA (8 of 62 [12.9%]) or negative for hepatitis B virus (HBV), HCV, and hepati tis G virus (HGV) infections (5 of 62 [8.1%]) (P = .02). This study does no t support the hypothesis of an association between TTV infection and HCC.