High frequency of mixed TT virus infections in healthy adults and children detected by a simplified heteroduplex mobility assay

J Virol Methods. 2002 Mar;101(1-2):117-25. doi: 10.1016/s0166-0934(01)00425-6.

Abstract

Recombinant plasmids carrying 199 base pairs (bp) inserts from the non coding region (nucleotides (nt) 6-204) of the TT virus (TTV) genome were used to standardize an heteroduplex mobility assay able to detect mixed infections of a single individual with several TTV isolates. In this simplified heteroduplex mobility assay, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were analyzed directly by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, without requirement for post-PCR denaturation and annealing steps of the amplicons. The assay was used to test TTV positive serum samples collected from healthy 1-7 years old children, 11-17 years old adolescents, and 24-39 years old blood donors living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as TTV positive samples from Amazonian Indians. The results showed a very high frequency of multiple infection in all groups, with 20/30 (67%), 31/33 (94%), 35/38 (92%), and 34/37 (92%) of the samples collected from children, adolescents, blood donors, and Amazonian Indians, respectively, containing more than one TTV genotype.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Base Pair Mismatch
  • Blood Donors
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • DNA Virus Infections / diagnosis*
  • DNA Virus Infections / epidemiology
  • DNA, Viral / analysis*
  • DNA, Viral / blood
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Health Status
  • Heteroduplex Analysis / methods*
  • Humans
  • Indians, South American
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Prevalence
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Torque teno virus / genetics
  • Torque teno virus / isolation & purification*
  • Urban Population

Substances

  • DNA, Viral