Detection and viral nucleotide sequence analysis of transfusion-transmitted virus infection in acute fulminant and non-fulminant hepatitis

The impact of transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) infection on acute fulmin ant and non-fulminant hepatitis is unclear. In this study, serum samples fr om 164 patients with acute hepatitis of various aetiologies, from 34 asympt omatic hepatitis B virus carriers and from 202 healthy adults were tested f or TTV DNA by the semiconserved nested polymerase chain reaction. TTV virae mia was prevalent in patients with acute hepatitis C, in patients with acut e hepatitis D virus superinfection and in patients with non-A-E hepatitis ( 27-30%) but the incidence was not significantly different from that of heal thy controls (31 of 202, 15.3%). There were no significant differences in g ender, age, presence of hepatitis G virus, the occurrence of fulminant hepa titis, or in serum albumin, bilirubin or alanine aminotransferase levels (9 /30 vs 35/134) between patients with or without TTV viraemia. Seven of the nine TTV-positive patients with fulminant hepatitis were co-infected with h epatitis C, D or E. TTV clones from 18 subjects, with or without fulminant hepatitis, were sequenced and analysed phylogenetically. Eleven (61.1%) bel onged to TTV group 1, six (33.3%) to TTV group 2 and one to TTV group 3. No particular strain of TTV was associated with fulminant hepatitis. In summa ry, in Taiwan, TTV is prevalent in the general population as well as in pat ients with liver diseases. TTV plays an insignificant role in acute fulmina nt and non-fulminant hepatitis. Its influence on outcome requires a longitu dinal study.