Summary
The possible relationship between essential mixed cryoglobulinemias (EMCs) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been investigated in eight patients with type II EMCs and biochemical signs of liver damage, whose serum tested positive in the ELISA for anti-HCV. Sera were tested using the 2nd generation RIBA assay, while serum HCV-RNA was measured semiquantitatively by a RT-PCR in whole serum, cryoprecipitates and supernatants. In all patients a percutaneous liver biopsy and a bone marrow biopsy were performed. At liver biopsy, chronic active hepatitis and/or cirrhosis were present in 6 patients; in the remaining two, a lymphoplasmacytoid infiltration of elements positive for kappa light chains was found. In all patients a bone marrow biopsy showed a paratrabecular infiltration of monoclonal lymphoplasmacytoid elements similar to those found in the liver of the two patients described above. Antibodies against structural and non-structural HCV proteins were detectable in the serum of all patients. HCV-RNA was amplified from the whole sera, cryoprecipitates and supernatants: significantly higher concentrations were found in cryoprecipitates than in supernatants. Our results confirm the high prevalence of HCV infection and ongoing viral replication in patients with type II EMC and suggest the possible implication of HCV in EMC pathogenesis.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abate ML, Saracco G, Negro F, Brunetto MR, Bonino F (1992) Quantitative detection of hepatitis C viraemia by HCV-RNA RT-PCR: clinical applications. Ital J Gastroenterol 24: 251
Artini M, Natoli G, Avantaggiati ML, Balsano C, Chirillo P, Bonavita MS, Levrero M (1992) HCV replicates in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from chronic HCV carriers. Proceedings of the first annual meeting on hepatitis C virus and related viruses, Venice 1992, p 32
Brouet JC, Clauvel JP, Danon F, Klein M, Seligmann M (1974) Biological and clinical significance of cryoglobulins. A report of 86 cases. Am J Med 57: 775–778
Casato M, Taliani G, Pucillo LP, Goffredo G, Laganà B, Bonomo L (1991) Cryoglobulinemia and hepatitis C virus. Lancet 337: 1047
Chomzczynski A, Sacchi F (1987) Single step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium, thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction. Anal Biochem 162: 156–159
Chung RT, Agnello V, Weiner NJ, Dienstag JL, Kaplan LM (1992) A role for hepatitis C virus infection in the pathogenesis of essential mixed cryoglobulinemia: selective concentration of HCV antigen and RNA in cryoprecipitates. Gastroenterology 104: 1092
deBandt M (1992) Role du virus de l’hépatite C dans les cryoglobulinémies mixtes “essentielles” et le syndrome de Gourgerot-Sjogren. Presse Med 21: 1750–1752
Disdier P, Harlé JR, Weiller PJ (1991) Cryoglobulinemia and hepatitis C infection. Lancet 338: 1151
Ferri C, Greco F, Longombardo G, Bombardieri S (1991) Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in patients with mixed cryoglobulinemias. Arthritis Rheum 34: 1606–1610
Ferri C, Greco F, Longombardo G, Bombardieri S (1991) Antibodies against hepatitis C virus in mixed cryoglobulinemia patients. Infection 19: 417–420
Galli M, and the GISC (1991) Cryoglobulinemia and serological markers of hepatitis B virus. Lancet 338: 758
Galli G, Monti G, Monteverde A, Invernizzi F, Pietrogrande M, Di Girolamo M, Mazzaro C, Migliaresi S, Mussini C, Ossi E, Renoldi P (1992) Hepatitis C virus and mixed cryoglobulinemias. Lancet 339: 989
Gorevic PD, Kassab HJ, Levo Y, Kohn R, Meltzer M, Prose P, Franklin EC (1980) Mixed cryoglobulinemia. Clinical aspects and long-term follow-up of 40 patients. Am J Med 69: 287–290
Haddad J, Deny P, Munz-Gotheil C, Harley D (1992) Lymphocytic sialadenitis of Sjogren syndrome associated with chronic hepatitis C virus liver disease. Lancet 339: 321–324
Han JH, Shymala V, Richman KH, Greenmount A (1991) Characterization of the terminal region of hepatitis Cvirus RNA: identification of conserved sequences in the 5′ untranslated region and poly(A)tails at the 3′ end. PNAS 88: 1711–1715
Harlé JR, Disdier P, Durand JM, Weiller PJ (1991) Mixed cryoglobulinemia in hepatitis C infection: ten cases. Presse Med 20: 1233
Houlf S, Romain P, Szymanski L, Bonkovski H (1992) Hepatitis C: An important cause of mixed cryoglobulinemia. Gastroenterology 102: 105
Levo Y, Gorevich PD, Kassab HJ, Zucker-Franklin D, Franklin EC (1977) The association between hepatitis B virus and essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. N Engl J Med 296: 1501–1504
Lunel F, Musset L, Cacoub P, Perrin M, Frangeul JC, Piette O, Bousquet P, Godeau D, Valla Y, Le Charpentier P, Opolon P, Haraux JM (1992) Prevalence of mixed cryoglobulinemia in 112 patients with viral and non viral chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. Proceedings of the first annual meeting on hepatitis C virus and related viruses, Venice 1992, p 179
Monteverde A, Rivano MT, Allegra GC, Monteverde AI, Zigrossi P, Baglioni B, Falini B, Bordin G, Pileri S (1988) Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, type II: a manifestation of a low-grade malignant lymphoma? Acta Haematol 79: 20–25
Meltzer M, Franklin EC (1966) Cryoglobulinemia. A study of 29 patients. I. IgG and IgM cryoglobulins and factors affecting cryprecipitability. Am J Med 40: 828–836
Meltzer M, Franklin EC, Elias K, McCluskey RT, Cooper N (1966) Cryoglobulinemia. A clinical and laboratory study. II. Cryoglobulins with rheumatoid factor activity. Am J Med 40: 837–856
Muller HM, Kallinovski B, Solbach C, Goeser T, Theilmann L, Pfaff E (1992) Peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes as a potential site for extrahepatic replication of hepatitis C virus: predominant role of B-lymphocytes in viral propagation. Proceedings of the first annual meeting on hepatitis C virus and related viruses, Venice 1992, p 31
Pascual M, Perrin L, Giostra E, Schifferli JA (1990) Hepatitis C virus in patients with cryoglobulinemia type II. J Infect Dis 335: 559–560
Theilmann L, Blazek M, Goeser T, Gmelin K, Kommerel B, Fiehn W (1990) False positive anti-HCV tests in rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet 335: 1346
Zignego AL, Macchia D, Monti M, Thiers V, Romagnani S, Gontallini P, Brechot C (1992) Hepatitis C virus infection of fresh and cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Ital J Gastroenterol 24: 310
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer-Verlag
About this paper
Cite this paper
Ballaré, M. et al. (1993). Hepatitis C virus infection in type II essential mixed cryoglobulinemias. In: Gerlich, W.H. (eds) Research in Chronic Viral Hepatitis. Archives of Virology Supplementum, vol 8. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9312-9_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9312-9_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
Print ISBN: 978-3-211-82497-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-9312-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive