Quantification of torque teno virus (TTV) DNA in saliva and plasma samples in patients at short time before and after kidney transplantation

Alexandre Mendes Batista; Matheus W Caetano; Maria A Stincarelli; Ana C Mamana; Rodrigo Melim Zerbinati; Dmitry J S Sarmento; Marina Gallottini; Rafael A V Caixeta; José Medina-Pestana; Bengt Hasséus; Louise Zanella; Tania R Tozetto-Mendoza; Simone Giannecchini; Paulo H Braz-Silva

doi:10.1080/20002297.2021.2008140

Quantification of torque teno virus (TTV) DNA in saliva and plasma samples in patients at short time before and after kidney transplantation

J Oral Microbiol. 2021 Dec 12;14(1):2008140. doi: 10.1080/20002297.2021.2008140. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Alexandre Mendes Batista¹, Matheus W Caetano^{1

2}, Maria A Stincarelli³, Ana C Mamana¹, Rodrigo Melim Zerbinati¹, Dmitry J S Sarmento^{2

4}, Marina Gallottini², Rafael A V Caixeta², José Medina-Pestana⁵, Bengt Hasséus⁶, Louise Zanella⁷, Tania R Tozetto-Mendoza¹, Simone Giannecchini³, Paulo H Braz-Silva^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil.
² Department of Stomatology, University of São Paulo School of Dentistry, São Paulo, Brazil.
³ Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
⁴ Department of Oral Medicine, State University of Paraiba, Araruna, Brazil.
⁵ Division of Renal Transplantation, Kidney and Hypertension Hospital, Federal University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology, University of Gothenburg Institute of Odontology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁷ Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus - Center for Excellence in Translational Medicine (BIOREN - CEMT), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.

Abstract

Background: Several reports have proposed that the viral load of torque teno virus (TTV) in plasma is a biomarker of immune function in solid organ transplantation (SOT) and in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Additionally, for the latter one, TTV-DNA quantification in saliva has also been suggested.

Aim: to investigate the correlation between the TTV viral load and immune function in paired saliva and plasma samples in patients on kidney transplantation.

Materials and methods: TTV-DNA viral load was quantified in paired samples of saliva and plasma from 71 patients before and a short-time after renal-transplantation by real-time PCR.

Results: The data obtained from 213 paired samples showed a slight consistency in the comparison between saliva and plasma, with prevalence of TTV-DNA being 58%, 52% and 60% in saliva samples and 60%, 73% and 90% in plasma samples before and at 15-20 and 45-60 days after transplantation, respectively. Additionally, a high TTV viral load was observed in plasma at 15-20 and 45-60 days after transplantation compared to that observed in saliva at the same time.

Conclusions: Overall, monitoring TTV-DNA in saliva samples could be an additional fast non-invasive option to assess the immune functionality in SOT populations.

Keywords: Saliva; immunosuppression; solid organ transplantation; torque teno virus.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) according to grant numbers [2021/03563-2, 2015/07727-9 and 2017/07778-8], by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) according to grant number [44004/2014-5], by Coordination for improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) according to finance code 001, by Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa da Universidade de São Paulo according to grant number [2021.1.10424.1.9], and by Fondazione ‘Istituto di Ricerca Virologica Oretta Bartolomei Corsi’ Florence, Italy;