TT virus infection in adult beta-thalassemia major patients

Background and Objectives, Patients with thalassemia-major are at risk of b lood-bome viral infections, TT virus (TTV), a single stranded, circular DNA virus, has recently been found to be associated with acute and chronic hep atitis. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of TTV infecti on in adult patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia, and to evaluat e the clinical significance of TTV. Design and Methods. We studied 68 adult patients with thalassemia major, 97 % of whom were hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody positive. TTV DNA was ampli fied from serum by heminested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Direct seque ncing of PCR products was used to establish mr genotypes. Results, TTV DNA was detected in 47 patients (69.1%), Sequence analysis of PCR products identified TTV geno-type 1b as the most common viral genotype in this group, Patients co-infected by HCV and TTV had a significantly high er histologic grade score than patients with isolated HCV infection (5.1+/- 2.7 vs, 9.8+/-1.7, p=0.02) while the stage score was not significantly diff erent. Interpretation and Conclusions, TTV is highly prevalent among Italian multi ply transfused patients, In these patients rm viremia appears to affect the necro-inflammatory activity of hepatitis C, though no evidence of an effec t on the evolution of fibrosis was found. (C) 2001, Ferrata Storti Foundation.