Comparative metavirome analysis in polytransfused patients

• Published in: Brazilian journal of medical and biological research Vol. 54; no. 12; pp. 1 - e11610
• Main Authors: Valenca, I.N, Ros, F.A, Zucherato, V.S, Silva-Pinto, A.C, Covas, D.T, Kashima, S, Slavov, S.N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ribeirao Preto Associacao Brasileira de Divulgacao Cientifica (ABDC) 01.01.2021; Revista Brasileira de Pesquisas Medicas; Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica
• Subjects: Analysis; Beta-thalassemia major; BIOLOGY; Blood & organ donations; Blood banks; Blood diseases; Blood donors; Disease transmission; Genotypes; Health aspects; Infection; MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL; Metagenomic analysis; Multiple transfusions; Next-generation sequencing; Patients; Sickle cell anemia; Sickle cell disease; Thalassemia; Virome; Viruses; Brazil; Metagenomic analysis; Beta-thalassemia major; Multiple transfusions; Sickle cell disease; Virome
• ISSN: 0100-879X; 1414-431X; 1414-431X; 1678-4510
• DOI: 10.1590/1414-431X2021e11610

Due to the high transfusion volume, polytransfused patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta-thalassemia are constantly exposed to parenterally transmitted infections. Currently, we have little information about the virome of such patients and how the virological composition might be influenced by the hemotherapy procedures that these patients receive. The objective of this study was to compare the viral diversity between these two groups with respect to the viral abundance and how it might be affected by the specific conditions of these groups. We sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and compared the virome of 30 patients with beta-thalassemia major, 45 with SCD, and 16 blood donors from the Blood Center of Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. Predominantly, commensal viruses including Torque teno virus (TTV) genotypes and human pegiviris-1 (HPgV- 1) were identified in each group. Strikingly, while HPgV-1 reads were dominant in the SCD group, thalassemic patients showed high TTV abundance, expressed both in viral reads and genotypes. We speculated that the commensal virome of polytransfused patients might be influenced by the transfusion frequency and disease characteristics and that commensal viruses might be used as important genetic biomarkers for these hematological disturbances. Nevertheless, more specific studies are necessary to confirm a relationship between blood virome and transfusion treatment. Key words: Virome; Metagenomic analysis; Multiple transfusions; Beta-thalassemia major; Sickle cell disease