title: GB virus C infection in patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is present in most but not all patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of GB virus C (GBV-C) in type II mixed cryoglobulinemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of serum and cryoprecipitate samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care hospital in Bergamo, Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  58 cryoglobulinemic patients, 35 of whom were treated with interferon-alpha.
  
  
  METHODS
  GB virus C RNA was determined by a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay done by using primers derived from the conserved GBV-C helicase region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GB virus C RNA was detected in serum specimens from 23 of 58 cryoglobulinemic patients (40% [95% CI, 27% to 53%]) and 1 of 145 healthy blood donors (0.7%) (P < 0.001). Twenty of the 23 patients with GBV-C RNA were simultaneously infected with HCV. Unlike antibodies to HCV and HCV RNA, GBV-C RNA did not concentrate in cryoprecipitate in patients co-infected with GBV-C and HCV. Furthermore, the therapeutic effectiveness of interferon-alpha in patients with coinfection was related to the disappearance of HCV RNA but not GBV-C RNA from serum. None of 3 patients with GBV-C infection alone had detectable GBV-C RNA in cryoprecipitate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection with GBV-C, usually associated with HCV, is common in patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia but is unlikely to have a primary role in this disease.
authors.affiliation: Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Misiani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mantero
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bellavita
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vicari
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchesi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Primi
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral