[Detection of TTV DNA in hepatocellular carcinoma]

A new hepatitis agent, TTV has been cloned from post-transfusion hepatitis patient sera. This virus has a single stranded DNA as genome, surrounded by viral capsid antigen without envelope. It might be a member of parvoviridae. But genome organization is far from the known parvoviridae such as B19 and adeno-associated virus. Although this virus could be a new causative agent for nonA-nonG hepatitis, high healthy carrier rate, no relation with hepatocellular carcinoma and no evidence of amplification in parencymal hepatocyte might lead to less importance in liver disease. It is necessary to accumulate further knowledge about this new agent for the coming transplantation medicine.