Korean J Pediatr.  2004 Feb;47(2):183-186.

The Prevalence of Transfusion-Transmitted Virus Infection in Children

• Chung JY
• Han TH
• Hwang ES

Abstract

PURPOSE
Transfusion-transmitted virus(TTV) is an newly described nonenveloped human virus, with a circular, negative stranded DNA genome. Although a high prevalence of TTV infection in the normal population has been demonstrated, there is a still possibility of association with hepatitis according to the genotype of TTV. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of TTV infection in Korean children.
METHODS
Nested polymerase chain reaction(PCR) using priner sets generated from the noncoding region(NCR) of the viral genome was done in 105 children without liver disease, aged 0-15 years. We performed a second set of PCR using N22 primer in 88 children after the first set of PCR.
RESULTS
The TTV DNA was detectable in 36(34%) of 105 children without hepatitis by 5'NCR primer. The prevalence of TTV varied with age:<1 y,16%(4/25); 1-3 y, 44%(15/31); 4-6 y, 31%(5/ 16); 7-9 y, 25%(3/12); 10-15 y, 14%(3/21). By using N22 primers, the prevalence of TTV DNA in children without hepatitis was 11.3%(11/88):<1 y 8%(2/25); 1-3 y, 13.7%(4/29); 4-6 y, 6.2%(1/16); 7-9 y, 33.3%(2/6); 10-14 y, 8.2%(1/12).
CONCLUSION
Our result showed a high prevalence of TTV infection, varying with age, in Korean children. Further evaluation of genotypes of TTV in patients with hepatitis and normal children is needed.

Keyword

Transfusion-Transmitted virus; Children

MeSH Terms

Child*
DNA
Genome
Genome, Viral
Genotype
Hepatitis
Humans
Liver Diseases
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Prevalence*
Torque teno virus*
DNA