Infrequent detection of TT virus infection in intravenous drug users, prostitutes, and homosexual men. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Infrequent detection of TT virus infection in intravenous drug users, prostitutes, and homosexual men.

J Infect Dis. 1999 Mar;179(3):686-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99137806
MacDonald DM; Scott GR; Clutterbuck D; Simmonds P; Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Edinburgh,; Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, United Kingdom.

Abstract: TT virus (TTV), a recently discovered DNA virus, has been implicated as a cause of non-A to non-C posttransfusion hepatitis. The frequency of TTV in persons considered at high risk for sexual and parenteral infection was investigated (52 prostitutes, 81 homosexual men, 65 intravenous drug users) to assess its mode of transmission. TTV DNA was assayed by polymerase chain reaction using primers from conserved regions in the N22 clone. Viremia frequency was 4.5%-13.0% in study subjects, not significantly different from that in low-risk controls (2 [4.5%] of 44). The frequency of TTV viremia increased significantly with age (P=.018) but was not associated with human immunodeficiency virus coinfection. The low frequency of infection detected in both risk groups suggests that spread by sexual contact or by intravenous drug use is relatively inefficient and unlikely to account for the high prevalence of TTV observed worldwide.
Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Adult DNA Virus Infections/COMPLICATIONS/DIAGNOSIS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY DNA Viruses/*ISOLATION & PURIF Female *Homosexuality, Male Human HIV Seronegativity HIV Seropositivity/COMPLICATIONS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY Male Polymerase Chain Reaction *Prostitution Risk-Taking RNA, Viral/BLOOD *Substance Abuse, Intravenous Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Viral Proteins/*ISOLATION & PURIF Viremia/COMPLICATIONS/EPIDEMIOLOGYKWDjournalarticleadultdnavirusinfections/complications/diagnosis/KWDepidemiologydnaviruses/KWDisolation&puriffemaleKWDhomosexuality,malehumanhivseronegativityhivseropositivity/complications/KWDepidemiologymalepolymerasechainreactionKWDprostitutionrisk-takingrna,viral/bloodKWDsubstanceabuse,intravenoussupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tviralproteins/KWDisolation&purifviremia/complications/epidemiology
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Copyright © 1999 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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