MONOCLONAL GAMMOPATHIES AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION

we analyzed 201 cases of monoclonal gammopathies for the prevalence of HCV Ab. The cases were divided in two groups on the presence or absence of cryoglobulinemic activity.The first group included 94 patients all affected by type II cryoglobulinemia ( 62 "essential" mixed cryioglobulinemia, 12 overt lymphoproliferative diseases 20 autoimmune diseases ) ; the second group included 107 subjects (MGUS,myeloma, Waldestrom disease, immunocytoma ) without cryoglobulinemic activity. We found a very high prevalence of HCVAb in "essential" mixed cryoglobulinemia and in lymphoproliferative diseases ( 83%) whereas no strict relation was found between HCV infection a cryoglobulinemias secondary to autoimmune diseases ( 15%). In MGs without cryoglobulinemic activity the prevalence od HCVAb was very low. Our data confirm the strict association between HCV infection and MGs with cryoglobulinemic activity, with the exception of those associated with autoimmune diseases.