Linked Life Data

7781436

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/7781436

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
6
pubmed:dateCreated
1995-7-19
pubmed:abstractText
A six-year history of repeated attacks of fatigue, fever, arthralgias, skin changes, Raynaud's phenomenon, and neuropathy is reported in a patient with chronic liver disease. The following diagnoses were made: (1) leukocytoclastic vasculitis; (2) acute urticaria; (3) cryoglobulinemia type II with Raynaud's phenomenon and low serum level of C4; (4) peripheral polyneuropathy; (5) sicca syndrome; and (6) chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Despite therapy with corticosteroids symptoms increased gradually over years. In the first PCR of the nested PCR analysis, HCV-RNA was exclusively detected in the cryoglobulin fraction but not in the serum supernatant, suggesting that antibodies bind HCV particles, forming circulating immune complexes. As diagnoses 1-5 are well-known organ manifestations of cryoglobulinemia, we speculated whether treatment of hepatitis C with IFN-alpha (3 million IU IFN-alpha 2b three times a week) would inhibit HCV replication, decrease the cryocrit level and thereby ameliorate organ manifestations such as neuropathy and vasculitis. During treatment with IFN-alpha only a very weak or no signal could be detected for HCV-RNA in the cryoglobulin fraction as well as in the serum supernatant. This held true also for the serum supernatant in the second PCR. In parallel, cryoglobulin level, immunoglobulins, and liver enzymes decreased substantially to normal or near normal levels. Clinical symptoms-leukocytoclastic vasculitis and neuropathy-disappeared. We conclude that chronic HCV infection is involved in the pathogenesis of cryoglobulinemia and that IFN-alpha might be an effective treatment in these patients.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jun
pubmed:issn
0163-2116
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
40
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1221-5
pubmed:dateRevised
2011-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
A role for chronic hepatitis C virus infection in a patient with cutaneous vasculitis, cryoglobulinemia, and chronic liver disease. Effective therapy with interferon-alpha.
pubmed:affiliation
Medizinische Klinik II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review, Case Reports