start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=66 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=387 end-page=397 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2012 dt-pub=201210 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Detection of Torque Teno Virus DNA in Exhaled Breath by Polymerase Chain Reaction en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=To determine whether exhaled breath contains Torque teno virus (TTV) or not, we tested exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples by semi-nested PCR assay. We detected TTV DNA in 35% (7/20) of EBC samples collected from the mouth of one of the authors, demonstrating that TTV DNA is excreted in exhaled breath with moderate frequency. TTV DNA was detected also in oral EBC samples from 4 of 6 other authors, indicating that TTV DNA excretion in exhaled breath is not an exception but rather a common phenomenon. Furthermore, the same assay could amplify TTV DNA from room air condensate (RAC) samples collected at distances of 20 and 40cm from a human face with 40 (8/20) and 35% (7/20) positive rates, respectively. TTV transmission has been reported to occur during infancy. These distances seem equivalent to that between an infant and its household members while caring for the infant. Taken together, it seems that exhaled breath is one of the possible transmission routes of TTV. We also detected TTV DNA in 25% (10/40) of RAC samples collected at a distance of more than 180cm from any human face, suggesting the risk of airborne infection with TTV in a room. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ChikasueKumiko en-aut-sei=Chikasue en-aut-mei=Kumiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KimuraMiyuki en-aut-sei=Kimura en-aut-mei=Miyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkedaKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Ikeda en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhnishiTakuma en-aut-sei=Ohnishi en-aut-mei=Takuma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawanishiSatoshi en-aut-sei=Kawanishi en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IioTomoe en-aut-sei=Iio en-aut-mei=Tomoe kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KataokaMikio en-aut-sei=Kataoka en-aut-mei=Mikio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=AraoYujiro en-aut-sei=Arao en-aut-mei=Yujiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=2 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=3 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=4 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=5 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=6 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=7 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=8 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University en-keyword=Torque teno virus kn-keyword=Torque teno virus en-keyword=exhaled breath kn-keyword=exhaled breath en-keyword=airborne infection kn-keyword=airborne infection en-keyword=polymerase chain reaction kn-keyword=polymerase chain reaction END