[Association of cryoglobulins and hepatic disease: incidence, nature and immunochemical characteristics of cryoglobulinemia].

Mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with liver disease is well known, but its mechanism and signification still have to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to identify and to characterize hepatic disease by their immunochemical features among 60 patients presenting with mixed cryoglobulinemia. Thirteen cases of alcoholic liver disease and 8 of virus B hepatitis out of 40 cases in all of hepatic disease in this group were studied. A higher frequency of type III immunochemical features of cryoglobulinemia in alcoholic disease (83 p. 100), no matter how severe, as well as a higher frequency of type II in virus B hepatitis (62 p. 100) was demonstrated. There was no relationship between virus B hepatitis and cryoglobulinemia in our population. Therefore, the responsibility of virus B hepatitis in essential mixed cryoglobulinemia genesis has to be clarified. The localization of cryoglobulin in the Kupffer cell in two patients with chronic hepatitis confirms the essential role of the reticuloendothelial system in blood clearance of circulating immune complexes.