Visualization of TT Virus Particles Recovered from the Sera and Feces of Infected Humans

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 279; no. 2; pp. 718 - 724
• Main Authors: Itoh, Yukio, Takahashi, Masaharu, Fukuda, Masako, Shibayama, Takao, Ishikawa, Takashi, Tsuda, Fumio, Tanaka, Takeshi, Nishizawa, Tsutomu, Okamoto, Hiroaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 20.12.2000
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - blood; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - diagnosis; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - virology; Antibodies, Viral - blood; buoyant density; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; DNA Virus Infections - blood; DNA Virus Infections - diagnosis; DNA Virus Infections - immunology; DNA Viruses - immunology; DNA Viruses - isolation & purification; DNA Viruses - ultrastructure; DNA, Viral - blood; DNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Feces - virology; HIV - isolation & purification; HIV Infections - blood; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; immune complex; immune electron microscopy; Immunoglobulin A - blood; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M - blood; immunoprecipitation; Male; Microscopy, Immunoelectron; Middle Aged; RNA, Viral - blood; RNA, Viral - isolation & purification; TT virus; immune electron microscopy; TT virus; immune complex; immunoprecipitation; buoyant density
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.2000.4013

TT virus (TTV) has not yet been cultured or visualized. We attempted to recover and visualize TTV-associated particles from the serum samples and feces of infected humans. Serum samples were obtained from 7 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Three patients had a high TTV DNA titer (108 copies/ml), three had a low TTV DNA titer (102 copies/ml), and one was negative for TTV DNA. Fecal supernatant was obtained from a different TTV-infected subject. The serum samples were fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography, and TTV DNA-rich fractions were subjected to floatation ultracentrifugation in cesium chloride. Virus-like particles, 30–32 nm in diameter, were found in the 1.31–1.33 g/cm3 fractions from each of the three serum samples with high TTV DNA titer, but not in any fraction from the four serum samples that either were negative for TTV DNA or had low TTV DNA titer. The TTV particles formed aggregates of various sizes, and immunogold electron microscopy showed that they were bound to human immunoglobulin G. Similar virus-like particles with a diameter of 30–32 nm banding at 1.34–1.35 g/cm3 were visualized in fecal supernatant with TTV genotype 1a by immune electron microscopy using human plasma containing TTV genotype 1a-specific antibody.