[Cryoglobulinemia syndrome and liver diseases. Case reports]

Six cases of an association of liver disease with a cryoglobulinaemia syndrome are described. An account of their clinical, body fluid and anatomopathological pictures is followed by a discussion of their possible causes in the light of the relevant literature. It is felt that no assessment can be made of the primary nature of either disease in associations of this kind. In addition to cases in which prior liver disease or exposure to hepatitis virus can be shown, in fact, there are other situations in which liver disease was present before the manifestation of cryoglobulinaemia. Repeated antigen stimulus triggers the antibody response leading to the formation of cryoprecipitating complexes. In most cases, the nature of such antigen is not known, since HB virus or any other virus, bacterial product, or cell catabolism product either eliminated in insufficient quantities, or produced in abnormal quantities, may be responsible.