Contribution of Hepatitis C Infection to a Large Cohort of Cryoglobulin-Positive Patients: Detection and Characteristics

Cryoglobulins (CGs) are cold precipitating immunoglobulins, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is its most common cause. The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution of HCV in a large cohort of CG. Biological characteristics and specificity of CGs in HCV patients were compared to no...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda, Pierre Miossec
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01183/full
_version_ 1819232241384947712
author Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda
Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda
Pierre Miossec
Pierre Miossec
author_facet Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda
Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda
Pierre Miossec
Pierre Miossec
author_sort Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda
collection DOAJ
description Cryoglobulins (CGs) are cold precipitating immunoglobulins, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is its most common cause. The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution of HCV in a large cohort of CG. Biological characteristics and specificity of CGs in HCV patients were compared to non-HCV subjects. Cryoglobulin analysis included isotype, clonality, concentration, and rheumatoid factor (RF) in cryoprecipitate and serum complement and RF. This study is an extension of the study carried out on a cohort of 13,439 patients tested for CGs from all medical units, in which 1,675/13,439 (12.5%) patients had a CG, and 680/1,675 (40.6%) had HCV serology or viral load determination (HCV RNA). Among these 680 CG patients tested for HCV, 325 of 680 (47.8%) HCV patients (272 HCV RNA+ and 45 HCV RNA− patients) were compared to 355/680 (52.2%) non-HCV subjects. After a positive detection of CG, HCV status was determined only for 37.7% (256/680) of patients, allowing the diagnosis of a previously unknown HCV infection for 39.8% (102/256). Concentration of HCV RNA+ CGs (median = 80.5 mg/L) was significantly higher than that of HCV RNA− CG (median = 50.5 mg/L, p = 0.001) and HCV− CG (median = 32 mg/L, p < 0.0001). There was no difference of median CG concentration between HCV RNA− patients and non-HCV subjects. Rheumatoid factor titer was significantly higher in type II CG compared to type III CG in HCV RNA+ patients (254 ± 720 vs. 15 ± 21 IU/mL, p < 0.0001) and non-HCV subjects (333 ± 968 vs. 16.8 ± 26 IU/mL, p = 0.0004). Complement functional activity CH50 was lower in HCV RNA+ patients (36 ± 24 U/mL) and in HCV RNA− patients (32 ± 21 U/mL) than in non-HCV subjects (50 ± 25 U/mL, p = 0.001 and p = 0.004). In conclusion, HCV infection and treatment influence CG characteristics. It is essential, and far from always tested, to determine the HCV status of patients with mixed CG, and conversely to search for CG in patients with HCV infection.
first_indexed 2024-12-23T11:57:44Z
format Article
id doaj.art-4f3169957ff34bff80891a5697dcf271
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1664-3224
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-23T11:57:44Z
publishDate 2020-06-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Immunology
spelling doaj.art-4f3169957ff34bff80891a5697dcf2712022-12-21T17:48:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242020-06-011110.3389/fimmu.2020.01183525803Contribution of Hepatitis C Infection to a Large Cohort of Cryoglobulin-Positive Patients: Detection and CharacteristicsMarie N. Kolopp-Sarda0Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda1Pierre Miossec2Pierre Miossec3Immunogenomics and Inflammation Research Unit EA 4130, University of Lyon, Lyon, FranceImmunology Laboratory, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, FranceImmunogenomics and Inflammation Research Unit EA 4130, University of Lyon, Lyon, FranceDepartment of Immunology and Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology Unit, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, FranceCryoglobulins (CGs) are cold precipitating immunoglobulins, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is its most common cause. The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution of HCV in a large cohort of CG. Biological characteristics and specificity of CGs in HCV patients were compared to non-HCV subjects. Cryoglobulin analysis included isotype, clonality, concentration, and rheumatoid factor (RF) in cryoprecipitate and serum complement and RF. This study is an extension of the study carried out on a cohort of 13,439 patients tested for CGs from all medical units, in which 1,675/13,439 (12.5%) patients had a CG, and 680/1,675 (40.6%) had HCV serology or viral load determination (HCV RNA). Among these 680 CG patients tested for HCV, 325 of 680 (47.8%) HCV patients (272 HCV RNA+ and 45 HCV RNA− patients) were compared to 355/680 (52.2%) non-HCV subjects. After a positive detection of CG, HCV status was determined only for 37.7% (256/680) of patients, allowing the diagnosis of a previously unknown HCV infection for 39.8% (102/256). Concentration of HCV RNA+ CGs (median = 80.5 mg/L) was significantly higher than that of HCV RNA− CG (median = 50.5 mg/L, p = 0.001) and HCV− CG (median = 32 mg/L, p < 0.0001). There was no difference of median CG concentration between HCV RNA− patients and non-HCV subjects. Rheumatoid factor titer was significantly higher in type II CG compared to type III CG in HCV RNA+ patients (254 ± 720 vs. 15 ± 21 IU/mL, p < 0.0001) and non-HCV subjects (333 ± 968 vs. 16.8 ± 26 IU/mL, p = 0.0004). Complement functional activity CH50 was lower in HCV RNA+ patients (36 ± 24 U/mL) and in HCV RNA− patients (32 ± 21 U/mL) than in non-HCV subjects (50 ± 25 U/mL, p = 0.001 and p = 0.004). In conclusion, HCV infection and treatment influence CG characteristics. It is essential, and far from always tested, to determine the HCV status of patients with mixed CG, and conversely to search for CG in patients with HCV infection.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01183/fullcryoglobulinhepatitis Crheumatoid factorcomplementimmunoglobulin
spellingShingle Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda
Marie N. Kolopp-Sarda
Pierre Miossec
Pierre Miossec
Contribution of Hepatitis C Infection to a Large Cohort of Cryoglobulin-Positive Patients: Detection and Characteristics
Frontiers in Immunology
cryoglobulin
hepatitis C
rheumatoid factor
complement
immunoglobulin
title Contribution of Hepatitis C Infection to a Large Cohort of Cryoglobulin-Positive Patients: Detection and Characteristics
title_full Contribution of Hepatitis C Infection to a Large Cohort of Cryoglobulin-Positive Patients: Detection and Characteristics
title_fullStr Contribution of Hepatitis C Infection to a Large Cohort of Cryoglobulin-Positive Patients: Detection and Characteristics
title_full_unstemmed Contribution of Hepatitis C Infection to a Large Cohort of Cryoglobulin-Positive Patients: Detection and Characteristics
title_short Contribution of Hepatitis C Infection to a Large Cohort of Cryoglobulin-Positive Patients: Detection and Characteristics
title_sort contribution of hepatitis c infection to a large cohort of cryoglobulin positive patients detection and characteristics
topic cryoglobulin
hepatitis C
rheumatoid factor
complement
immunoglobulin
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01183/full
work_keys_str_mv AT marienkoloppsarda contributionofhepatitiscinfectiontoalargecohortofcryoglobulinpositivepatientsdetectionandcharacteristics
AT marienkoloppsarda contributionofhepatitiscinfectiontoalargecohortofcryoglobulinpositivepatientsdetectionandcharacteristics
AT pierremiossec contributionofhepatitiscinfectiontoalargecohortofcryoglobulinpositivepatientsdetectionandcharacteristics
AT pierremiossec contributionofhepatitiscinfectiontoalargecohortofcryoglobulinpositivepatientsdetectionandcharacteristics