Clinical and virological findings in mixed cryoglobulinaemia.
OBJECTIVE
As a close relationship has been established between mixed cryoglobulinaemia and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the clinical, histological and virological findings of patients affected by mixed cryoglobulinaemia were determined.


METHODS
Hepatitis C virus infection was investigated by the presence of anti-HCV antibodies and PCR amplification of the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR), and the genotype of HCV was also determined according to Okamoto. A bone marrow biopsy was performed in all patients and liver and kidney biopsies when indicated.


METHODS
Eighty-two subjects affected by mixed cryoglobulinaemia were enrolled in this study.


RESULTS
The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was high (83%); PCR amplification of the 5'UTR region was performed in 52 subjects and in 44 of them (85%) the results were positive. In the same subjects, the Core region amplification was positive in 46 cases (88%). A high prevalence of genotype II was found (54%). Chronic liver disease was present in 55 patients (67%). Bone marrow biopsies showed the presence of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in 11 cases (13%). Membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis was found in seven subjects (8%).


CONCLUSIONS
Mixed cryoglobulinaemia is associated with HCV infection in the nearly all cases. Several HCV genotypes are involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. Mixed cryoglobulinaemia is associated with a high prevalence of chronic liver disease, low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis.
Mazzaro
C
C
Institute of Medicina Clinica, University of Trieste, School of Medicine, Italy.
Tulissi
P
P
Moretti
M
M
Mazzoran
L
L
Pussini
E
E
Crovatto
M
M
Santini
G F
GF
Pozzato
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001483:Base Sequence; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral