Polymorphism of the TT virus and its frequency in Polish blood donors

• Published in: Vox sanguinis Vol. 82; no. 4; pp. 177 - 181
• Main Authors: Grabarczyk, P., Brojer, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-05-2002; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Donors; Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis; DNA Primers; DNA Virus Infections - epidemiology; DNA Virus Infections - genetics; False Negative Reactions; Female; Genotype; genotypes; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; NC primers; ORF; Poland; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Genetic; Prevalence; Sensitivity and Specificity; sequence analysis; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Torque teno virus - genetics; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; TTV; Poland; Europe; Virus; Human; Polymerase chain reaction; Prevalence; TT virus; Blood donation; Classification; Genotype; Epidemiology; Sequencing; Blood donor; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0042-9007; 1423-0410
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1423-0410.2002.00178.x

Objective To determine, in Polish blood donors, the frequency of TT virus (TTV) using different primers and the sequence diversity of TTV genotypes.
Materials and Methods Two‐hundred blood donors were studied. TTV DNA was detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers for the coding (ORF1) and non‐coding (NC) regions. Twenty isolates were genotyped by sequencing the ORF1 fragment.
Results TTV DNA was detected in 78% of donors using NC primers and in 10% using ORF1 primers. The frequency of TTV DNA detection by NC primers was observed to increase with donor age, whereas the frequency of detection by ORF primers did not differ between various age‐groups. The nucleotide sequence homology of Polish TTV isolates ranged from 59 to 99%. Three genotypes (1b, 2b and 2c) were identified.
Conclusions The frequency of TTV detection depends on the primers used for the PCR. Using the NC primers the virus is detected in the majority of donors, whereas the ORF1 primers strongly underestimate the prevalence of TTV. The frequency of TTV DNA increases with age. Polish TTV isolates are highly polymorphic and are classified as 1b, 2b and 2c.