Investigation of transfusion transmitted viruses in cases clinically suspected of posttransfusion hepatitis with undetermined ethiology

Abstract Transfusion transmitted viruses (TTV) were investigated in cardiac surgery cases who were previously transfused with blood and/or blood products and were suspected of having posttransfusion hepatitis (PTH) based on the results of physical examination, clinical findings, biochemical blood test results and in a smaller number, on radiological results. They were identified as having non-A–C hepatitis based on serological or molecular test methods. In this study, out of 90 cases suspected for PTH and non-A–C, 78 (86.7%) were male, 12 (13.3%) were female and their ages were between 17 and 67. Ninety healthy blood donors, who donated blood for the first time and had never had a transfusion, were selected as the control group. They had alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels ′ GCT ACG TCA CTA ACC ACG TG 3 ′ (T801) and 5 ′ CTG CGG TGT GTA AAC TCA CC 3 ′ (T935) primers. TTV-DNA was found to be positive in 21 (23.3%) of the patient group and 4 (4.4%) of the control group ( p p >0.05). However the ALT levels had a tendency to rise and reached their highest level nine weeks after transfusion in the TTV-DNA positive cases, although in two cases the ALT levels decreased to normal value after the 13th week. During the 24 month follow up of the TTV-DNA positives all cases except one were positive at the end of this period. The results of this study are the same as those reported in the literature suggesting that TTV-DNA, excluding the main viral agents which are known to cause PTH, can be determined in transfused PTH or non-transfused asymptomatic patients in varying ratios. In order to define the epidemiological properties and hepatic–extrahepatic pathologies more clearly we have looked for evidence of the viral agent, which probably contaminates both by transfusion and non-transfusion routes. It is suggested that, in addition to the case groups in this study, new clinical studies are necessary including transfused but non-PTH patients.