Transfusion transmitted virus prevalence rate in IDU patients: a cross sectional study

"nBackground: Transfusion-Transmitted Virus (TTV) is a nonenveloped, single-stranded and circular DNA virus belongs to circuviridae family genus Anellovirus, discovered by Nishizawa in 1997. As the usage of common syringes is the known and most common route of the virus transmission, and because of increasing population of Injection drug users (IDU) we decided to study infection rate in IDU population of our Society. "nMethods: In a cross-sectional study at Infectious ward of Imam Khomeini hospital, 60 IDU patients were studied. Blood samples were dispatched to lab in citrated test tube for Genome Virus isolation operation, using boiling method, then PCR assay performed based on their available primers. Patient's information gathered by interview and questionnaire methods."n "nResults: All of our 60 patients were men and their age average was 35.30(SD±9.68) years old. 26(43.3%) patients had positive TTV PCR and 24(92.30%) of them had prison history. 23(88.50%) of these 26 patients had positive HCV Ab, 17(65.40%) had positive HIV Ab and 8(30.80%) had positive HBS Ag. Of 60 study patients 48(80%) had HCV Ab+, 43(71.70%) HIV Ab+, 26(43%) TTV PCR and 43(26.70%) had HBS Ag+ Of 26 patients who had TTV, 34.60% of them had no contemporary sickness and 11.50% of them displayed clear sign of hepatitis (fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, RUQ tenderness and Icter). 34.60% of them had LFT more than Upper limit normal (45u/l). Time average of injection in 26 TTV patient was 9 years (SD±7.16) and the patient's age average was 36.35%(SD±9.2). "nConclusions: One of the most important route of TTV infection is use of common syringes, TTV infection transmission chance is less than HIV and HCV infection and is more than HBV. In regard to high prevalence of TTV infection in IDU population and because there is no comprehensive information about pathogenesis of this virus in addition to another way of transmission of the virus, the fecal-oral way, we must make plans and policies to decrease danger of transmission of this virus to health care workers, their families and other near relatives."