Cryoglobulinemia is the presence of abnormal proteins in the blood. These proteins thicken in cold temperatures.
Cryoglobulins are antibodies. It is not yet known why they become solid or gel-like at low temperatures in the laboratory. In the body, these antibodies can form immune complexes that can cause inflammation and block blood vessels. This is called cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. This may lead to problems ranging from skin rashes to kidney failure.
Cryoglobulinemia is part of a group of diseases that cause damage and inflammation of the blood vessels throughout the body (vasculitis). There are three main types of this condition. They are grouped based on the type of antibody that is produced:
Types II and III are also referred to as mixed cryoglobulinemia.
Type I cryoglobulinemia is most often related to cancer of the blood or immune systems.
Types II and III are most often found in people who have a long-lasting (chronic) inflammatory condition, such as an autoimmune disease or hepatitis C. Most people with the type II form of cryoglobulinemia have a chronic hepatitis C infection.
Other conditions that may be related to cryoglobulinemia include:
Symptoms will vary, depending on the type of disorder you have and the organs that are involved. Symptoms may include:
MIXED CRYOGLOBULINEMIA (TYPES II AND III)
Mild or moderate forms of cryoglobulinemia can often be treated by taking steps to deal with the underlying cause.
Current direct-acting medicines for hepatitis C eliminate the virus in nearly all people. As hepatitis C goes away, the cryoglobulins will disappear in about one half of all people over the next 12 months. Your provider will continue to monitor the cryoglobulins after treatment.
Severe cryoglobulinemia vasculitis involves vital organs or large areas of skin. It is treated with corticosteroids and other medicines that suppress the immune system.
TYPE I CRYOGLOBULINEMIA
This disorder is due to a cancer of the blood or immune system such as multiple myeloma. Treatment is directed against the abnormal cancer cells that produce the cryoglobulin.
Patrice Cacoub practices in Paris, France. Cacoub is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Cryoglobulinemia. She is also highly rated in 52 other conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Cryoglobulinemia, Vasculitis, Hepatitis C, Takayasu Arteritis, and Angioplasty.
David Saadoun practices in Paris, France. Saadoun is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Cryoglobulinemia. He is also highly rated in 47 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Cryoglobulinemia, Vasculitis, Takayasu Arteritis, and Behcet Disease.
Benjamin Terrier practices in Paris, France. Terrier is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Cryoglobulinemia. He is also highly rated in 50 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Vasculitis, Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, Cryoglobulinemia, Necrotizing Vasculitis, and Kidney Transplant.
Most of the time, mixed cryoglobulinemia does not lead to death. Outlook can be poor if the kidneys are affected.
Complications include:
Call your provider if:
There is no known prevention for the condition.
Summary: The primary purpose of this protocol is to create a registry of patients with plasma cell disorders (PCDs), including for example the cancer multiple myeloma (MM), who complete the assessment, previously known as a geriatric assessment, as is outlined in this protocol. Secondary objectives include measuring the response rate to participation of patients in this study, assessing patient satisfactio...
Summary: The primary aim is to establish a prospective cohort of patients with plasma cell disorders (PCDs). All of the hospitalized PCD patients who are willing to sign the informed consent form (ICF) will be included in this study. Clinical characteristics, treatment options and responses will be collected. Peripheral blood, bone marrow aspirate and urine samples before and after the treatment will banke...
Published Date: January 31, 2021
Published By: Diane M. Horowitz, MD, Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, Northwell Health, Great Neck, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Roccatello D, Saadoun D, Ramos-Casals M, et al. Cryoglobulinaemia. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018;4(1):11. PMID: 30072738 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30072738/.
Stone JH. Immune complex-mediated small-vessel vasculitis. In: Firestein GS, Budd RC, Gabriel SE, Koretzky GA, McInnes IB, O’Dell JR, eds. Firestein & Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 96.