PATIENTS WITH MIXED CRYOGLOBULINEMIA AND HCV INFECTION, IN PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS, HAVE HIGH SERUM LEVELS OF (CXC MOTIF) LIGAND (CXCL)9 AND CXCL11 CHEMOKINES

No data are present in the literature regarding chemokine (CXC motif) ligand (CXCL)9 and CXCL11 circulating levels in cryoglobulinemia associated with hepatitis C (MC+HCV), in presence/absence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AT). Serum CXCL9 and CXCL11 have been measured in 38 MC+HCV patients without AT (MCo), 38 MC+HCV patients with AT (MC+AT), and in matched controls without (control 1) or with thyroiditis (control 2). Serum CXCL9 and CXCL11 were significantly higher: in control 2 than control 1 (p<0.05); in MCo than control 1 and control 2 (p<0.001, for both); in MC+AT than control 1 and control 2 (p<0.0001, for both), and than MCo (p=0.01, for both). Our study demonstrates markedly high serum levels of CXCL9 and CXCL11 in patients with MC+HCV compared to healthy controls; in MC+HCV patients increased CXCL9 and CXCL11 levels were significantly associated with the presence of AT. Moreover, a strong relation between circulating CXCL9 and CXCL11 in MC+HCV has been shown.