TT VIRUS (TTV) INFECTION AND PREVALENCE IN CAPD PATIENTS

Transfusion Transmitted Virus (TTV) is a DNA virus and it was first isolated from a patient with posttransfusion hepatitis in 1997. Prevalence of TTV differs in different geographic areas. There are evidences that virus is transmitted through not only by parenteral way but also through other routes. However, potential pathophysiologic role of TTV in chronic liver diseases remains to be established. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of TTV in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients and in healthy controls without history of blood transfusion. Sixtythree CAPD patients and fourty-three healthy controls were included into the study. TTV DNA was detected by semi-nested PCR method.

TTV-DNA was detected in %44.4 of CAPD patients and %30.2 of healthy controls (p>0.05). The prevalence of anti-HCVpositivity and HBsAg positivity was %17.4 and %3.1 in CAPD patients, respectively. History of blood transfusion was present in %30 of patients and prevalence of TTV was %36.8 and %34.1 in patients with and without history of blood transfusions, respectively (p>0.05). The prevalence of TTV was 45.4% among the and HCV positive patients whereas it was 44.2% among the anti HCV negative patients (p>0.05). Serum ALT level was high in 3 patients and among these patients one was positive for anti-HCV, one was positive for TTV and one was negative for the three hepatitis viruses.

. In conclusion, we demonstrated that TTV is not more prevalent in CAPD patients compared to healthy controls. We also could not demonstrate any relation between presence of TTV and blood transfusion, presence of other viruses and liver disease.