title: High prevalence of hepatitis C virus RNA in the supernatant and the cryoprecipitate of patients with essential and secondary type II mixed cryoglobulinemia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Clinique d'Hépatogastroentérologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bichard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ounanian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baccard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rolachon
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Renversez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cordonnier
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Seigneurin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Debru
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zarski
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D003450:Cryoglobulins; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral