Korean J Gastroenterol.  2003 Feb;41(2):119-125.

Transfusion-transmitted Virus Infection in Korean Patients with Acute and Chronic Liver Disease of Unknown Etiology and Healthy Controls: Influence of PCR Primers on the Detection of Transfusion-transmitted Virus

• Park SH
• Byun KS
• Song JW
• Yeon JE
• Park CK
• Lee CH

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The pathogenic role of transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) isolated from a cryptogenic posttransfusion hepatitis patient remains unclear. Thus, we evaluated the prevalence and the clinical impact of TTV infection in Korean patients with acute and chronic liver disease of unknown etiology. METHODS: Serum samples were collected between 1992 and 1998 from 70 acute and 30 chronic liver disease patients of unknown etiology and 50 of age and sex-matched healthy controls. The TTV DNA was detected by PCR with two different PCR primers. One was conventional (N22 region) and the other was new and highly sensitive (5' UTR region). RESULTS: When conventional primer sets were used, TTV DNA was detected in 8 of 70 (11.4%) patients with acute hepatitis of unknown etiology, 2 of 30 (6.7%) patients with chronic liver disease of unknown etiology and one of 50 (2%) healthy controls. When highly sensitive primer sets were used, TTV DNA was detected in 68 of 70 (97.1%) patients with acute hepatitis of unknown etiology, 30 of 30 (100%) patients with chronic liver disease of unknown etiology and 49 of 50 (98%) healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that TTV is very prevalent among patients with cryptogenic liver disease and even in general population. Thus, it may not be the main causative agent of cryptogenic liver disease in Korea.

Keyword

Transfusion-transmitted virus; Prevalence; Polymerase chain reaction; DNA primers; Cryptogenic liver disease