BACKGROUND: TT virus is prevalent worldwide, but its prevalence and genotype distribution in Central and East-Europe has not been determined. The high prevalence of TTV in multiply-transfused patients points to the importance of a parenteral mode of transmission, but since more than half of the general population is infected other possible routes of transmission must be considered. METHODS: In our study, we investigated the epidemiology, transmission and phylogeny of TTV in the Czech Republic. The following groups were selected: a control group of 196 blood donors, 20 patients with hemophilia, 49 intravenous drug users, 100 sex workers, 50 penitentiary prisoners, 208 healthy children aged 1 to 14 years, 54 cord blood samples, 52 patients with non-A-E hepatitis, 74 patients with hepatitis C, and 51 blood donors with increased ALT levels. Primers specific for the non-coding region were used. The genotype distribution was studied in 70 TTV-positive samples. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of TTV among the Czech population was 52.6%. We have shown that TTV is not transmitted prenatally. Children were infected after birth with two peaks: one at the age of two years and the other after the beginning of primary school. Adults have shown a further increase in the TTV prevalence with age. The highest TTV prevalence was found in the group of patients who had received multiple blood transfusions. The TTV prevalence rate in subjects at an increased risk of sexual transmission was not significantly higher than in the general population. Genotypes G2 and G1 were most prevalent among the Czech population, followed by G8 and G3. The subjects positive for markers of HBV and/or HCV infection tested significantly more often TTV DNA positive, which is suggestive of a common route of transmission of these three infections. CONCLUSIONS: This study on TTV prevalence, mode of transmission and age-specific prevalence is the most extensive study performed in Central and Eastern Europe. It showed insights into the epidemiology of TTV infection, but failed to associate TTV infection with clinical manifestations.

• MeSH
• dárci krve statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• DNA virů krev   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• hemofilie A komplikace   MeSH
• infekce DNA virem epidemiologie   přenos   virologie   MeSH
• intravenózní abúzus drog komplikace   MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• sexuálně přenosné nemoci virové epidemiologie   přenos   virologie   MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• Torque teno virus * klasifikace   genetika   MeSH
• věkové rozložení MeSH
• vězni statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA virů MeSH