The Role of Transfusion-Transmitted Virus in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

• Published in: Journal of clinical gastroenterology Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 86 - 88
• Main Authors: Valtuille, Rodolfo, Frankel, Fernando, Gómez, Federico, Moretto, Héctor, Fay, Fabián, Rendo, Pablo, Lef, Leonardo, Fernández, José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01-01-2002; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Argentina - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood-Borne Pathogens; Chi-Square Distribution; Diseases of the urinary system; DNA Virus Infections - epidemiology; Female; Genotype; Hepacivirus - genetics; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Prevalence; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Renal Dialysis; Risk Factors; RNA, Viral - analysis; Torque teno virus - genetics; Transfusion Reaction; Viremia; Human; Infection; Virus; Extrarenal dialysis; Prevalence; Hemodialysis; Viral disease; Clinical biology; Transmission; Complication; Epidemiology
• DOI: 10.1097/00004836-200201000-00017
• EISSN: 1539-2031
• ISSN: 0192-0790

GOALSTo study transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) infection in 75 patients on hemodialysis and examine its relationship with age, sex, duration of dialysis, history of transfusion, and chronic elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.
STUDYSerum TTV was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), TTV genotypes by restriction fragment length polymorphism, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA by PCR.
RESULTSTransfusion-transmitted virus was detected in 32 patients (42.7%). Transfusion-transmitted virus genotypes were as followsG1 in 16 patients; G2, 3; G3, 1; G4, 2; G2-G5, 6; and unclassified, 4. Mean duration of dialysis was 37 ± 32 months for TTV-positive patients and 43 ± 37 months for TTV-negative patients (not significant). Twenty-seven (84%) TTV-positive patients and 27 (63%) TTV-negative patients had a history of transfusions (p = 0.04). Chronic ALT elevation was observed in 9 patients; 5 of them were TTV-positive (16%) and 4 were TTV-negative (9%) (not significant). Four (40%) HCV RNA–positive patients and 5 (8%) HCV RNA–negative patients had chronic ALT elevation (p = 0.003). Three TTV-positive patients with chronic ALT elevation were also infected with HCV. The two patients with isolated TTV infection did not have another clinical feature to explain their ALT elevation.
CONCLUSIONSTransfusion-transmitted virus had a high prevalence in the patients on hemodialysis; genotype G1 accounts for half of the cases. Transfusion-transmitted virus infection depends on the transfusional antecedent but not on the duration of dialysis. Chronic ALT elevation is significantly associated with HCV infection but not TTV infection. However, TTV could be a causative agent of chronic ALT elevation in some patients.