1. Sentinel biomarkers in HCV positive patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia.
- Author
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Basile U, Marino M, Gragnani L, Napodano C, Gulli F, Pocino K, Lorini S, Santini SA, Basile V, Miele L, Zignego AL, and Rapaccini GL
- Subjects
- Aged, Biomarkers blood, Cryoglobulinemia complications, Female, Hepatitis C complications, Humans, Immunoglobulin G blood, Immunoglobulin G classification, Immunoglobulin Isotypes blood, Immunoglobulin Light Chains, Male, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Rheumatic Fever blood, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors blood, Cryoglobulinemia blood, Cryoglobulinemia virology, Hepacivirus, Hepatitis C blood
- Abstract
Background: Infections, autoimmunity and cancer play a role as determinants of etiology in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) related mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC). Several factors of risk have been suggested as markers of pathogenesis and progression of HCV-related MC into B cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (B-NHL). Here, we evaluated IgG subclass distribution, free light chains (FLCs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a new combination of biomarkers., Methods: We measured IgG1-4 subclasses, FLCs and VEGF levels in sera 53 from HCV-related MC, in comparison with 40 sera from HCV negative patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 30 from healthy blood donors (HBD)., Results: IgG3 levels were significantly higher in HCV-MC patients with a decrement of IgG2 and IgG4; FLC levels significantly increased in both MC and RA patients' groups; serological VEGF was higher in HCV-MC patients than in HBD in correlation with k and λ levels., Conclusion: Our results suggest that a specific IgG subclasses pattern together with raised levels of FLCs and VEGF could represent the biomarker "signature" of an inflammation multistage of acquired immune system., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
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