GISC PROTOCOL EXPERIENCE IN THE TREATMENT OF ESSENTIAL MIXED CRYOGLOBULINEMIA

Objective: We compared the efficacy of interferon and deflazacort in t he treatment of the cryoglobulinaemic syndrome and assessed the useful ness of adding a low antigen diet to drug therapy. Methods: We studied 63 patients randomly allocated to different groups who underwent clin ical avid laboratory examinations every two months and who received tr eatment for 12 months or until a significant clinical event appeared. Results: Five of 28 patients treated with interferon showed clinical i mprovement whereas 4 worsened and 7 suffered untoward side effects; se ven of 28 patients treated with deflazacort improved, 4 worsened and 4 suffered drug toxicity. Twenty-nine patients were assigned to combine d low antigen diet and therapy, among whom 7 did not follow the diet, 5 improved and 2 worsened. Among the 34 patients who were on an unrest rained diet, 5 improved and 7 worsened. None of the treatments proved superior to the others. Conclusion: Our results do not confirm the sug gestion that interferon should be the primary therapy in the treatment of the cryoglobulinaemic syndrome, and the usefulness of a low antige n diet seems minimal.