The molecular epidemiology and clinical significance of TT virus (TTV) infection in healthy blood donors from Southern Taiwan

To evaluate the molecular epidemiology and clinical significance of the TT virus (TTV) infection in healthy blood donors from southern Taiwan, 475 sera of healthy volunteer blood donors were tested for: TTV DNA, GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) anti-envelope protein 2 antibody and RNA. TTV DNA was positive in 111 donors (23.4%). Age and the rate of elevated ALT levels were significantly higher in TTV viremic donors than TTV non-viremic donors (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Phylogenetic analysis of 49 donors revealed 22 (44.9%), 13 (32.7'%), 1 (2%), 10 (20.4%), and 3 (6.1%) Taiwanese TTV isolates clustered in genotypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, and 4, respectively. By multivariate analyses, age and elevated ALT levels were significant factors associated with TTV viremia. In conclusion, TTV infection. predominant genotype 1, is highly prevalent in Taiwanese blood donors. TTV viremia is associated with increased age and elevated ALT levels. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.