Assessment of Torque Teno Virus (TTV) Frequency in Healthy Blood Donors in the Central Region of Iran, Yazd

Zahra Naderipour; Farzane Behnezhad; Javad Charostad; Mohsen Nakhaie; Nadieh Baniasadi; Yaser Ghelmani; Fateme  Akhavan Tafti; Azam Dehghani; Akram Astani

doi:10.18502/ijhoscr.v18i2.15366

Zahra Naderipour Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Farzane Behnezhad Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Javad Charostad Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Mohsen Nakhaie Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Nadieh Baniasadi Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran
Yaser Ghelmani Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Research Development Center of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Fateme Akhavan Tafti Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran
Azam Dehghani Quantitative and Systems Biology, University of California Merced, 5200 North Lake Rd., Merced, CA, 95343, USA
Akram Astani Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijhoscr.v18i2.15366

Keywords: Torque teno virus (TTV); Blood donors; Polymerase chain reaction

Abstract

Background: Torque teno virus (TTV) is a globally prevalent virus in humans, yet comprehensive knowledge about its prevalence, predominant transmission routes, and pathogenesis remains limited. This study aimed to assess the frequency of TTV infection among healthy blood donors in Yazd, Iran.

Materials and Methods: A total of 236 healthy blood donors, devoid of HIV/HBV/HCV infection markers, participated in the study from 2015 to 2016. Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) utilizing a set of oligo primers for the 5΄- UTR region was employed to detect TTV DNA in serum samples.

Results: The TTV genome was identified in 161 out of 236 (61.2%) healthy blood donors. The mean age for men and women was 43 and 57 years, respectively. Of the participants, 156 were male, and 107 were female. Donor age exhibited a significant association with virus presence (P=0.007); however, gender did not show a statistically significant association with the frequency of TTV infection in healthy blood donors (P=0.3).

Conclusion: The study revealed a notably high frequency of the Torque teno virus in Yazd province, aligning with similar findings globally. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the clinical implications of the virus in the healthy population.