TT virus (TTV) loads associated with different peripheral blood cell types and evidence for TTV replication in activated mononuclear cells

Abstract

TT virus (TTV) loads associated with the peripheral blood cells of seven patients known to carry the virus in plasma were investigated by real-time PCR. Whereas red cells/platelets were uniformly negative, six and four patients yielded positive peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, respectively, but viral titres were generally low. Fractionation of PBMCs into monocyte- and B, T4, and T8 lymphocyte-enriched subpopulations showed no pattern in the viral loads that might suggest the preferential association of TTV to one or more specific cell types. TTV-negative PBMCs absorbed measurable amounts of virus when incubated with infected plasma at 4 degrees C. Furthermore, cultures of TTV-negative phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs exposed in vitro to virus-positive plasma and faecal extracts released considerable levels of infectious TTV into the supernatant fluid and the same was true for TTV-positive stimulated PBMCs. These results indicate that, whereas freshly harvested resting PBMCs seem to produce little, if any TTV, stimulated PBMCs actively replicate the virus.