title: Case report of a monoclonal gammopathy in a patient with chronic hepatitis: effects of beta-IFN treatment.
abstract: A sixty-one-year-old woman, with cirrhosis, presented with a monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGSU). Often in a condition of cirrhosis is present a benign M component hypergammaglobulinemia. The electrophoresis and the immunophoresis showed a dense papraprotein in the gamma-region, an IgG with K light chain, an uncertain Bence-Jones proteinuria, a medullary plasmacytosis (9%), and a following growth of paraprotein were present. Lymphoblastic plasma cell were absent. Treatment with beta-IFN 6 MU for a period of six months and 3 MU for a further period of three months proved ineffective for hepatic disease, but produced a quantitative reduction in gamma-G globulin, the Bence-Jones proteinuria was absent, a reduction in M component and in medullary plasmacytosis. Electrophoresis showed a polyclonal evolution of the gammopathy. Suspension of treatment was followed by de novo rise of monoclonal immunoglobulin. The authors report the use of beta-IFN in the therapy of multiple myeloma.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale F. Magrassi, II Università degli Studi di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gattoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cecere
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Martino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caiazzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rippa
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016899:Interferon-beta