Cone LA, Hirschberg J; National Conference on Human Retroviruses and Related Infections.
Program Abstr Second Natl Conf Hum Retrovir Relat Infect Natl Conf Hum Retrovir Relat Infect 2nd 1995 Wash DC. 1995 Jan 29-Feb 2; 155.
Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage, CA.
Cryoglobulinemia may be idiopathic or more commonly associated with lymphoproliferative and connective tissue disorders or acute and chronic infection. Although CRYO has been described in HIV+ persons it has in most instances been considered an asymptomatic epiphenomenon. We have seen 5 HIV+ patients with type III CRYO. Three of 5 had mononeuritis multiplex and axonal peripheral neuropathy, 1 had severe pulmonary hypertension and peripheral neuropathy and 1 presented with azotemia and dyspnea of obscure etiology. In 2 instances IgG and IgM cytomegalovirus antibodies were identified in the cryoprecipitate and 1 patient had chronic hepatitis C confirmed by finding high titers of hepatitis C virus in serum by PCR. In the remainder cryoprecipitate was not studied for antibody but yielded a mixture of IgG and IgM globulins that were polyclonal. Four of 5 patients were treated by plasmapheresis and 2 improved while the remainder were unchanged or progressed. CRYO disappeared following plasmapheresis and the ESR improved. We believe that CRYO may be symptomatic in HIV+ patients and is due to viral infections.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- AIDS Vaccines
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Antibodies, Viral
- Cryoglobulinemia
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Hemagglutination Tests
- Hepatitis C, Chronic
- Humans
- Peripheral Nervous System Diseases
- Plasmapheresis
Other ID:
UI: 102213525
From Meeting Abstracts