Study Of Cryoglobulinemia In Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

Chronic HCV infection is the main cause (90%) of EMC type II and III with or without clinical or biochemical evidence of liver damage. Anti HCV antibodies, HCV proteins and HCV-RNA have, been found in the cryoprecipitate in concentrated form. Several HCV genotypes are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Cryoglobulinemia is quite frequent in chronic HCV infection and when appropriate techniques of cryoglobulin detection are applied. Its frequency is usually higher than 40% are more frequently females, cirrhosis and have a longer duration of HCV infection. Only a minority (approximately 10%) is associated with MC disease. HCV as a lymphotropic virus may play a direct role in the development of low grade non Hodgkin's lymphoma usually associated with EMC.