Prevalence and genetic diversity of torque teno virus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in a reference service in Mato Grosso do Sul.

UNLABELLED Recent studies on the torque teno virus (TTV), genus Anellovirus, have allowed formulating the hypothesis that TTV may trigger autoimmune rheumatic diseases or have some pathogenic role in them. OBJECTIVES To determine the frequency of TTV infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the genetic diversity of TTV, the correlation between TTV infection and SLE clinical manifestations, and SLE clinical course and serological profile. PATIENTS AND METHODS Serum samples were obtained from 46 SLE patients treated at the University-Affiliated Hospital of Campo Grande (NHU/FAMED/UFMS), Brazil. For controls, serum samples were obtained from 46 healthy volunteer blood donors. Viral DNA was extracted from samples using the QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany) and amplified using nested PCR. RESULTS Positivity for TTV was found in 17 (37%) of SLE patients and in only seven (15.2%) of the controls (z test, P = 0.03). There was no correlation between TTV infection, SLE clinical manifestations, SLE clinical course, and the serological profile of the patients evaluated. CONCLUSION Further studies on the presence of TTV in SLE patients are required.