Abstract
BackgroundAnelloviruses (TTV, TTMV, and TTMDV) have been associated with non A-G hepatitis. The goal of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of these anelloviruses in Qatar.MethodsA total of 607 blood samples (500 healthy donors, and 53 HBV-and 54 HCV-positive patients) representing different nationalities were tested for the presence of TTV, TTMV, and TTMDV DNA by nested PCR.ResultsPrevalence rates for the three viruses were high in all studied groups, and exceeding 95% in the HBV group (for TTV and TTMDV). Infection with more than one type of viruses was common and significant in most of the positive patients (p < 0.05) and ranging from 55.4% for TTV/TTMV and TTMV/TTMDV co-infections in the healthy group, to 96.3% for TTV/TTMV co-infections in the HBV group. Further, and as with most previous studies, no significant association was found between anelloviruses infections and age, nationality, or gender (p > 0.05) albeit the detection of higher infection rates among females and Qatari subjects.ConclusionThis was the first published study to look at prevalence of Anellowviruses in the Middle East. High prevalence rates of the three viruses in all studied groups was noted. Further studies are needed to explore and compare the different genotypes of these viruses in the region.
Highlights
Anelloviruses (TTV, Torque teno mini virus (TTMV), and the article teno midi virus (TTMDV)) have been associated with non A-G hepatitis
The aim of the current study was to investigate the rates of infection of Torque teno virus (TTV), TTMV, and TTMDV in Qatar, and to examine the association of these virus infections, if any, with HBV or HCV
Study population analysis In the present study, a total of 607 plasma samples were screened for the presence of anellovirsuses (TTV, TTMDV, TTMV) DNA using nested PCR
Summary
Anelloviruses (TTV, TTMV, and TTMDV) have been associated with non A-G hepatitis. Human infections with anelloviruses (small ssDNA viruses) are widely spread [1, 2]. A prominent member of the Anelloviridae family is the Torque teno virus (TTV), reported for the first time in 1997 in a Japanese patient with post-transfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology [3]. (in 2000), another small DNA virus, designated Torque teno mini virus (TTMV), remotely similar to TTV was discovered [4]. In 2007 a third addition to the anellovirus genus was reported; the new virus had a genome of 3.2 kb (TTV and TTMV were around 3.8 and 2.8 kb, respectively), the designation Torque. The three viruses share a similar genome organization (UTR region, open reading frame region followed by short G/C rich region). The three viruses are extremely divergent in the ORF regions both at the nucleotide and amino acid levels [6]
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