TTV VIRAL LOAD AS A BIOMARKER OF THE IMMUNE STATUS IN RENAL TRANSPLANT PATIENTS DETECTED BY HOME BREW PCR AND R-GENE® KIT (bioMerieux)

REYES, NOELIA SOLEDAD; LAHAM GUSTAVO; BOCCIA, NATALIA; GARCIA, GONZALO; JARA, RAQUEL; HERMIDA ELIANA; SCHWALD, ISABEL; RICARTE, CARMEN; DIAZ, CARLOS; SOLER PUJOL, GERVACIO; CARBALLAL, GUADALUPE; ECHAVARRIA, MARCELA

Congreso; 24th Annual conference of the European Society for Clinical Virology,; 2022

Torque Teno Virus (TTV) is a small, non enveloped, DNA nonpathogenic virus, highly prevalent in the general population (90%). TTV has been postulated as a surrogate marker of immunosuppression in transplant patients. TTV standardization is needed to compare viral loads between different assays.To compare TTV viral load using a Home Brew PCR versus a commercial kit (TTV R-Gene®, bioMerieux). To determine TTV prevalence in renal transplant (RTx) recipients before and after transplantation, viral load kinetics and the relationship with renal rejection or viral infection (by CMV infection or BK nephropathy).A total of 647 plasma samples from 82 patients were obtained before and during the first year after RTx.TTV Home Brew: primers from a highly conserved UTR region . Quantification was performed using a quantified plasmid.Commercial PCR: TTV R-Gene® KIT (bioMerieux). Quantification with standard controls.Control biopsies were performed at 3, 6, 12 months and 5 years after RTx in all patients. Additional biopsies were performed in case of alteration in renal function. Graft rejection was confirmed by renal biopsy. Viral infections (CMV or BK nephropathy ) were considered when positive in plasma. Both events (rejection or infection) were considered for this analysis after 3 months post-Tx.Statistical analysis: Mann-Whitney test and Pearson correlation coefficient using GraphPad Prism software (version 5; La Jolla, CA, USA).