Prevalence of TTV DNA and GBV-C RNA in patients with systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis does not differ from that in healthy blood donors

Objective-To determine the prevalence of GB virus-C (GBV-C) RNA and TT viru s (TTV) DNA in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA) as well as to compare the autoantibody patte rn in patients with SSc with and without evidence of viral infection. Patients and methods-The study included 168 patients (84 SSc, 41 RA, and 43 OA) diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria a nd 122 volunteer blood donors. The presence of GBV-C RNA and TTV DNA in ser um was assessed by nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction ( RT-PCR) and semi-nested PCR, respectively. Autoantibodies in patients with SSc were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Hep-2 immunofluorescence. Results-TTV-DNA was detected in 10/84 (12%) patients with SSc, 9/41 (22%) p atients with RA, 3/43 (7%) patients with OA, and 16/122 (13%) blood donors. GBV-C RNA was present in 4/84 (5%) patients with SSc, 2/43 (5%) patients w ith OA, and 5/122 (4%) blood donors. No patient with RA was positive for GB V-C RNA. One patient with SSc and one patient with OA showed a double infec tion with GBV-C and TTV. 74/84 (88%) patients with SSc were positive for at least one autoantibody species tested: 18/84 (21%) showed anti-centromeric autoantibodies, 55/84 (66%) a speckled (36/84 (43%) fine, 19/84 (23%) coar se), and 20/84 (24%) a homogeneous nuclear Hep-2 pattern, and 21/84 (25%) h ad antinucleolar autoantibodies. Anti-Scl-70 antibodies were found in 31/84 (37%) and anti-RNP antibodies in 5/84 (6%) patients with SSc. No differenc es in the autoantibody pattern in patients with SSc with or without viral i nfection could be detected. Conclusion-The prevalence of GBV-C RNA and TTV DNA in serum samples from pa tients with SSc, RA, and OA was low and comparable with that in blood donor s. A continuing infection with TTV and or GBV-C was not associated with a s ignificant change in the autoantibody pattern in patients with SSc. These d ata provide no evidence for an association between GBV-C and/or TTV infecti ons and SSc and/or arthritis (RA and OA).