Transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) is a single-stranded DNA virus that was
identified in patients with post-transfusion hepatitis of non-A-to-G type. Patients with chronic renal
failure on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) have a higher risk of viral infections, and the prevalence
of TTV infection is common. The aim of our study was to detect TTV-DNA and its genotype in HD
patients. A case–control study compromising of 63 patients on maintenance HD therapy at the
Nephrology Center of Central Arar Hospital and 100 healthy individuals who were tested for TTVDNA
and its genotype by semi nested-polymerase chain reaction with primers derived from the
conserved open reading frame 1 (ORF1) region followed by digestion with NdeI and PstI restriction
enzyme. The results show that the prevalence of TTV in HD patients was high and statistically
significant; 42.9% compared with 19% in the control group. History of blood transfusion was the
only significant predictor, and we found that age of patients, duration of HD, hepatitis B and C
infection, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were not significant
predictors of TT virus positivity in HD patients. TTV genotype 1 (G1) was found to be the most
common genotype among both HD and healthy controls. The prevalence of TTV among HD
patients was significantly higher than that in healthy individuals. History of blood transfusion was
the only significant predictor of TTV positivity among them. Genotype 1 was the most predominant
type among HD and healthy individuals. Further studies on TTV in peritoneal dialysis patients and
transplant patients are needed. |
