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Case Report
Persistent Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis Following Successful Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus
JAMES W. LEVINE, CARMEN GOTA, BARRI J. FESSLER, LEONARD H. CALABRESE, and SHELDON M. COOPER
ABSTRACT.
There is a well established link between type II mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and HCV is believed to be the cause of cryoprotein formation and tissue deposition. Successful treatment of HCV infection has resulted in resolution of cryoglobulinemia and vasculitis. We describe 4 patients who had persistent MC and vasculitis despite successful eradication of HCV with antiviral therapy. (J Rheumatol 2005;32:1164-7) Key Indexing Terms:
CRYOGLOBULINEMIA
From the Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Division, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont; Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases Division, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio; and the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. J.W. Levine, DO; S.M. Cooper, MD, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Division, The University of Vermont College of Medicine; C. Gota, MD; L.H. Calabrese, DO, Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, Cleveland Clinic Foundation; B.J. Fessler, MD, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Address reprint requests to Dr. S.M. Cooper, The University of Vermont College of Medicine, Given Building D305, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405. E-mail: sheldon.cooper@uvm.edu Accepted for publication January 24, 2005. |