B-cells and mixed cryoglobulinemia.
Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is a systemic small-vessel vasculitis; B-cell expansion is the biological substrate of the disease. It can be regarded as benign lymphoproliferative condition that may evolve to frank lymphoma. HCV infection is the main causative factor of MC, as well as of other overlapping disorders, through multifactorial and multistep pathogenetic process. HCV-related B-cell proliferation represents an important model of virus-driven autoimmune/neoplastic disorder. The term HCV syndrome is referred to a wide spectrum of both hepatic and extrahepatic disorders. The present review analyzes the complex virological, clinico-pathological, and therapeutic implications of B-cell proliferation, with or without HCV infection, in MC patients.
Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Modena & Reggio E., Medical School, Modena, Italy. clferri@unimore.it
Clodoveo
C
Ferri
Alessandro
A
Antonelli
Maria Teresa
MT
Mascia
Marco
M
Sebastiani
Poupak
P
Fallahi
Daniela
D
Ferrari
Marco
M
Giunti
Stefano A
SA
Pileri
Anna Linda
AL
Zignego
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D013577:Syndrome