Torque Teno Viruses More Common among HIV/HCV Coinfected People, Linked to Greater Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis

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HIV and Hepatitis.com Coverage of the

50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC

2010)

Torque Teno Viruses More Common among HIV/HCV Coinfected People, Linked to

Greater Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis

SUMMARY: A common but little known set of viruses -- torque teno virus (TTV)

and torque teno mini virus (TTMV) -- occur more often in HIV/HCV coinfected

individuals than in healthy blood donors, and have been linked to worse liver

inflammation and fibrosis progression, according to a poster presented at the

50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC

2010) last week in Boston.

By Liz Highleyman

TTV and TTVM are small, genetically variable DNA viruses that are ubiquitous in

humans worldwide. They have not been definitively shown to be the cause of any

particular diseases, but some research suggests a potential link with liver

disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions such as lupus.

M. -Alvarez from Instituto de Salud III in Madrid and colleagues

sought to learn more about the prevalence and clinical significance of TTV and

TTMV in HIV/HCV coinfected people.

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study that included 245 coinfected

patients who underwent liver biopsy prior to starting hepatitis C treatment, as

well as 100 healthy HIV and HCV negative blood donors.

Results

The prevalence of both TTV (94% vs 83%; P = 0.002) and TTMV (95% vs 72%; P <

0.001) was significantly higher among HIV/HCV coinfected patients compared with

healthy blood donors.

In addition, among people who carried TTV and/or TTMV, viral loads of these 2

viruses were higher in HIV/HCV coinfected people compared with the blood donors:

TTV: about 7000 vs about 150 copies/mL, respectively (P < 0.001);

TTMV: about 900 vs about 25 copies/mL, respectively (P < 0.001).

Among the coinfected patients, there was an association between higher levels

of TTV and/or TTMV and worse liver disease.

Coinfected patients with TTV viral load at the 75th percentile or above (about

600 copies/mL) had more than twice the risk of severe necro-inflammatory

activity (A3 or higher) and advanced fibrosis (F3 or higher) (odds ratios 2.42

and 2.29, respectively).

Those with TTMV viral load at the 75th percentile or above (about 75 copies/mL)

were significantly less likely to have absent necro-inflammatory activity (< A1)

and no significant fibrosis (< F1) (odds ratios 0.41 and 0.36, respectively).

" We found a high prevalence of both TTV and TTMV infections in HIV/HCV positive

patients, " the researchers concluded. " We also found an association between

higher viral load of TT viruses and higher activity grades and fibrosis stages

in liver biopsies. "

" Further work should be done to assess the contribution of TT viruses to liver

disease progression in HIV/HCV positive patients, " they recommended.

Investigator affiliations: Inst. de Salud III, Majadahonda, Madrid,

Spain; Hosp. Gen. Universitario Gregorio Maranon, Madrid, Spain.

9/21/10

Reference

M -Alvarez, J Berenguer, P Miralles, and others. Torque Teno Virus (TTV)

and Torque Teno Mini Virus (TTMV) in HIV/HCV Co-Infected Patients: Prevalence

and Role in Liver Disease. 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents

and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2010). Boston, September 12-15, 2010. (Abstract H-1675).