title: Hepatitis C: a possible etiology for cryoglobulinaemia type II.
abstract: Out of 15 successive patients with mixed essential cryoglobulinaemia type II (monoclonal IgM kappa/IgG), 13 had serological evidence for hepatitis C infection as shown by specific enzyme immunoassays and immunoblot. RNA was purified from the serum of seven patients and hepatitis C sequences were identified in five following reverse transcription and DNA amplification. The liver histology showed chronic active hepatitis with or without cirrhosis in the 12 patients with hepatitis C who had a liver biopsy. The two patients without serological evidence of hepatitis C suffered from haematological malignancies. Hepatitis C may be a major etiological agent of cryoglobulinaemia type II.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pechère-Bertschi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Saussure
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Widmann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giostra
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schifferli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000097:blood; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000637:Transaminases; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase