Work

Genetic characteristics of anelloviruses detected in individual viromes of children with acute respiratory symptoms using the metagenomic approach

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: More than 20 years after the discovery of the first anelloviruses (AVs), they still remain a mysterious group of viruses. To date, there is no clear understanding of their impact on the host organism, although information is emerging about their participation in various pathologies. Unfortunately, the widespread distribution of AVs makes it difficult to determine their significance. However, it is well known that AVs are an important component of the human virome. We assessed the abundance of AVs in viromes from four individual nasal and pharyngeal samples from children with respiratory symptoms using a metagenomic approach. Three of samples were positive for bocavirus, influenza virus A and respiratory syncytial virus, while one sample was negative for any respiratory viruses in standard PCR diagnosis. AVs were detected in all samples, namely Torque teno mini virus (TTMV). The greatest abundance and diversity of AVs [Torque teno virus (TTV), TTMV and Torque teno midi virus (TTMDV)] were observed in a diseased patient who had an absence of respiratory viruses. It is suggested that an activated immune system to combat the main pathogens, against the background of which the number of AVs decreases, may explain the reduced diversity of anellome in other patients. We also compared the results of the metagenomic workflows and qPCR for major respiratory viruses, which were in agreement. In addition, metagenomic sequencing made it possible to obtain additional data on viral genomes in order to establish their taxonomic identification and characterize individual viral profiles in patients.

Source: Acta Virologica

DOI: 10.3389/av.2025.13512