The association of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection with glomerulonephritis (GN) has been well documented in Japan but not in North America. Recently, eight renal biopsies with IgA-predominant or -codominant GN from eight patients with underlying staphylococcal infection, but without endocarditis, were observed at a single institution in a 12-mo period. Renal biopsie...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of cryoglobulinaemia and autoimmune markers with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) and post renal transplantation. METHODS Serum samples of 103 HCV-antibody (anti-HCV) positive and 105 anti-HCV negative patients were investigated for cryoglobulins. These comprised 136 patients on HD and 72 renal transplant ...

Editor The selective effect of cold on the hypodermis is a well-known medical phenomenon. Cryolipolysis induces selective apoptosis of the adipocytes using controlled exposure to intense cold. Its safety and efficacy has been reported in several studies but was recently challenged. A retrospective, observational, monocentric post-marketing study was conducted. A single session of cryolipolysis ...

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with a large spectrum of extrahepatic manifestations (EHMs), mostly immunologic/rheumatologic in nature owing to B-cell proliferation and clonal expansion. Neurological complications are thought to be immune-mediated or secondary to invasion of neural tissues by HCV, as postulated in transverse myelitis and encephalopathic forms. Prim...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the second most cocmmon chronic viral infection in the world with a global prevalence of about 2%. Chronic HCV infection is commonly associated with a number of extrahepatic complications. Circulating mixed cryoglobulins (MCs) are detected in 40-60% of HCV-infected patients whereas overt cryoglobulinaemia vasculitis develops in only 5-10% of the cases. MC re...

Abstract Background and Aims A considerable number of patients with high clinical suspicion for cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis either show negative results the detection cryoglobulins or only trace amounts which cannot be characterized composition. We aimed at establishing whether failure to detect cryoglobulin conventional methods identifies a peculiar subset low level cryoglobulinaemia (from no...

To the Editor: Interference by monoclonal IgM has been described in the immunonephelometric assays of C-reactive protein, antistreptolysin O, ferritin, and complement C4 (1–6). This report describes the interference by monoclonal IgM (IgMk) in the immunonephelometric assays of apolipoproteins A-I and B, haptoglobin, and immunoglobulins A and G. The patient, a man 54 years of age, was admitted t...

BACKGROUND Cutaneous vasculitis presents as a mosaic of clinical and histological findings. Its pathogenic mechanisms and clinical manifestations are varied. AIMS To study the epidemiological spectrum of cutaneous vasculitides as seen in a dermatologic clinic and to determine the clinico-pathological correlation. METHODS A cohort study was conducted on 50 consecutive patients clinically dia...

BACKGROUND The efficacy and safety of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) were evaluated in a cohort of prospectively enrolled patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC), an immune complex-mediated vasculitis of small and medium vessels in which the pathogenetic role of HCV has been clearly established. METHODS Twenty-two patients received DAAs. Clinical and ...