[Clinical manifestations and histopathologic features of chronic liver disease with serum TT virus (TTV) DNA positive alone as measured by first generation primer sets].

To determine the clinical manifestations and histopathologic features of serum TTV DNA-positive chronic liver disease, we investigated eleven patients who showed serum TTV DNA alone, as detected by the polymerase chain reaction using first generation primer sets (RD primer series). Clinical manifestations were as follows: (1) biochemical abnormalities of the ALT-dominant and gamma-GTP-dominant types; (2) persistently elevated gamma-GTP despite normalization of ALT in gamma-GTP-dominant type patients; (3) association of TTV with pathogenesis of fatty liver or alcoholic liver dysfunction; and (4) response to liver-protective medicines. Histopathologic features were as follows: (1) inflammation-related cell infiltration scattered within the portal area, with distinguishable necroinflammation in the lobular region; (2) pathologic findings on biliary epithelium; (3) high incidence of steato-metamorphosis involvement; and (4) histologic characteristics undistinguishable from "viral" chronic hepatitis in some liver specimens.