Hepatitis C virus genotypes and subtypes in patients with hepatitis C, with and without cryoglobulinemia.
OBJECTIVE
Recent reports have shown a high frequency of anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies in patients with cryoglobulinemia. The factors involved in the production of cryoglobulins in hepatitis C virus-infected patients are unknown. To assess the role of hepatitis C virus genotypes in the pathogenesis of mixed cryoglobulinemia, we analyzed their prevalence in a group of 118 hepatitis C virus-infected patients according to the presence or absence of cryoglobulins.


METHODS
The hepatitis C virus genome was typed using the Line Probe Assay (LiPA, Innogenetics), for the most common genotypes (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3, 4 or 5).


RESULTS
Cryoglobulinemia was diagnosed in 60 (51%) patients, 33 (55%) of whom had type II and 27 (45%) type III cryoglobulins. Forty-four (37%) patients had no cryoglobulinemia and 14 (12%) patients had transient cryoglobulins. Cryoglobulins were significantly less prevalent in patients infected by genotype 1a. We found no statistical link between the hepatitis C virus genotype and the presence of symptomatic cryoglobulinemia, or the hepatitis C virus genotype and the type (II or III) of cryoglobulin. Interestingly, all six patients infected by hepatitis C virus genotype 4 or 5 had cryoglobulins.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with hepatitis C virus infection, cryoglobulinemia is not strongly associated with a particular HCV genotype or subtype. The mechanism by which cryoglobulins are produced remains to be elucidated.
Frangeul
L
L
Service de Virologie, Hopital Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris, France.
Musset
L
L
Cresta
P
P
Cacoub
P
P
Huraux
J M
JM
Lunel
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors
D003450:Cryoglobulins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral