TT virus infection and pancreatic cancer: Relationship or accidental coexistence

TT virus (TTV) was first isolated in 1997 from the patient with acute post-transfusion hepatitis. This fact led to the conclusion that the virus was hepatotropic and could be one of the causative agents of acute hepatitis. Afterwards, however, the virus was found in other human tissues and serological studies revealed that it was widespread. Multiple tropisms of TTV and the fact of its high incidence in general population are considered to indicate no medical significance of TTV in human pathology. Here we present a report of two cases of TTV infection in patients who developed pancreas cancer. The patients were hospitalized at the Department of Infectious Diseases due to hepatitis of unknown origin. Since serological and virological markers of common primary and secondary hepatotropic viruses were negative, TTV-DNA was found in serum and was believed to be the only causative agent with probable hepatotropic action. The patients later developed pancreas cancer and they underwent operation. The relationship is difficult to confirm, however the cases we present should be treated as a preliminary report and a comment on the real role of TTV in human pathology. (C) 2005 The WJG Press and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.