title: Monoclonal gammopathy among patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of monoclonal gammopathies in Kuwait and its association with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum protein electrophoresis and measurement of immunoglobulin levels were carried out prospectively in 100 consecutive patients with chronic HCV infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 100 patients tested (82 males, 18 females; median age 45 years), 59 had polyclonal band in serum protein electrophoresis while the other 41 had a normal pattern. None of the patients had monoclonal gammopathy. The mean serum immunoglobulin levels were: IgG 18.4 g/l (range 4-39), IgA 2.9 g/l (range 0.09-8) and IgM 1.6 g/l (range 0.14-6.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no evidence of monoclonal gammopathies in patients with chronic HCV infection in Kuwait.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait. salemalshemmari@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Salem H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Al-Shemmari
authors.forename: Iqbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Siddique
authors.forename: Fuad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nkansa-Dwamena
authors.forename: Hisham Abu
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: El-Naga
authors.forename: Reem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ameen
mesh_terms: D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence