High prevalence of hepatitis C virus RNA in the supernatant and the cryoprecipitate of patients with essential and secondary type II mixed cryoglobulinemia.
Detection of hepatitis C virus RNA by polymerase chain reaction was performed in 26 patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia, and compared with anti-HCV antibody detection. The patients were divided into two groups according to etiology: 15 had essential type II mixed cryoglobulinemia and 11 had secondary type II mixed cryoglobulinemia. In the essential type II mixed cryoglobulinemia group, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus RNA detected by polymerase chain reaction was 60% in the supernatant and 93% in the cryoprecipitate. In the secondary type II mixed cryoglobulinemia group the prevalence of hepatitis C virus RNA was 45% in the supernatant and 55% in the cryoprecipitate. The differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. In both patient groups, detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in the cryoprecipitate was the most sensitive test for hepatitis C virus infection. These results suggest that hepatitis C virus might be involved in the origin of mixed cryoglobulinemia.
Bichard
P
P
Clinique d'Hépatogastroentérologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Grenoble, France.
Ounanian
A
A
Girard
M
M
Baccard
C
C
Rolachon
A
A
Renversez
J C
JC
Cordonnier
D
D
Seigneurin
J M
JM
Debru
J L
JL
Zarski
J P
JP
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*
D003450:Cryoglobulins; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral