Essential Mixed Cryoglobulinemia

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Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What is cryoglobulinemia?
• What conditions are associated with cryoglobulinemia?
• What is essential mixed cryoglobulinemia?
• What is the prognosis (outlook) for patients with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia?
• How is essential mixed cryoglobulinemia treated?

What is cryoglobulinemia?

Cryoglobulinemia is a medical condition that is caused by proteins called cryoglobulins, which are present in the blood. Cryoglobulins are abnormal proteins that by definition have the unusual property of precipitating from the serum specimen when it is chilled in the laboratory and redissolving into the serum upon rewarming.

Cryoglobulins may or may not be causing disease. Cryoglobulins can accompany another condition (such as dermatomyositis, multiple myeloma, or lymphoma) or be an isolated condition themselves, called cryoglobulinemia.

What conditions are associated with cryoglobulinemia?

Cryoglobulins in the blood (cryoglobulinemia) can cause conditions throughout the body. These conditions include problems resulting from abnormal "thickness" of the blood (such as stroke or blood clots in the eyes leading to blindness) and inflammation of blood vessels, referred to as vasculitis. Vasculitis of arteries can result in blockage of arteries leading to damage to the organ(s) supplied by the affected blood vessels, such as in the skin, kidneys, or elsewhere.

What is essential mixed cryoglobulinemia?

When the cryoglobulin proteins are a mixture of various antibody types, and forming for unknown reasons (essential), the conditions is referred to as essential mixed cryoglobulinemia.

Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia is characterized by joint pains and swelling (arthritis), enlargement of the spleen, skin vasculitis with purplish patches, and nerve and kidney disease. This can lead to recurrent pain in the abdomen, heart attack, and bleeding in the lungs. Weight loss can occur as well as poor appetite.

Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia is sometimes associated with hepatitis C virus infection.

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