Premium
Cryoglobulinemia in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: Host genetic and virological study
Author(s) -
Nagasaka Atsushi,
Takahashi Tomoya,
Sasaki Tsuyoshi,
Takimoto Kyoko,
Miyashita Kencho,
Nakamura Michio,
Wakahama Osamu,
Nishikawa Shuji,
Higuchi Akifumi
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.2000
Subject(s) - cryoglobulinemia , cryoprecipitate , viral quasispecies , hepatitis c virus , medicine , virology , immunology , hepatitis c , liver disease , flaviviridae , human leukocyte antigen , hepacivirus , chronic liver disease , cirrhosis , virus , antigen , gastroenterology , platelet
Abstract Essential cryoglobulinemia is associated closely with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The mechanism responsible for occurrence of the disease is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate pathogenetic roles of HCV in cryoglobulinemia. One hundred sixty‐seven consecutive patients with HCV were studied clinically by HCV grouping, HCV RNA levels, GBV‐C/HGV, HCV quasispecies (target region was hypervariable region‐1) and HLA polymorphism. The quasispecies in cryoprecipitate were compared with those in supernatant. The results of HLA polymorphism of patients with cryoglobulinemia were compared with those without cryoglobulinemia and healthy controls. The frequency of HCV‐related cryoglobulinemia was 71 of 167 (42.5%). Patients with cirrhosis (36 of 63, 57.1%) had cryoglobulinemia more frequently than those with chronic hepatitis (35 of 104, 33.7%, P < 0.01). No significant differences were not found between the two groups (patients with and without cryoglobulinemia) in age, gender, HCV grouping, HCV RNA level and frequency of GBV‐C/HGV. HCV was found quantitatively and clonally more frequently in the cryoprecipitate than in the supernatant. HLA polymorphism presented no significant differences among three groups. The stage of liver disease is one of pathogenetic factors. The greater the presence of HCV quasispecies in cryoprecipitate than in the supernatant indicates that various antigen presentations play an important role in the formation of cryoglobulin, whereas HLA typing dose not seem to contribute to the development of cryoglobulinemia. J. Med. Virol. 65:52–57, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.