HIGH PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-RNA IN THE SUPERNATANT AND THE CRYOPRECIPITATE OF PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL AND SECONDARY TYPE-II MIXED CRYOGLOBULINEMIA

Detection of hepatitis C virus RNA by polymerase chain reaction was pe rformed in 26 patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia, and compar ed with anti-HCV antibody detection. The patients were divided into tw o groups according to etiology: 15 had essential type II mixed cryoglo bulinemia and 11; had secondary type II mixed cryoglobulinemia. In the essential type II mixed cryoglobulinemia group, the prevalence of hep atitis C virus RNA detected by polymerase chain reaction was 60% in th e supernatant and 93% in the cryoprecipitate. In the secondary type II mixed cryoglobulinemia group the prevalence of hepatitis C virus RNA was 45% in the supernatant and 55% in the cryoprecipitate. The differe nces between the two groups were not statistically significant. In bot h patient groups, detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in the cryoprecip itate was the most sensitive test for hepatitis C virus infection. The se results suggest that hepatitis C virus might be involved in the ori gin of mixed cryoglobulinemia. (C) Journal of Hepatology.