[Quantitative and qualitative determinations and clinical and histological correlations of cryoglobulins in...

The Authors have investigated the presence of cryoglobulins in sera from 91 GN patients, 69 of whom had a renal biopsy. Cryoglobulins have been found in 12.5% of the idiopathic glomerulonephritis (GN), in 22.2% of the ones related to systemic diseases. Also 4 cases of GN with mixed essential cryoglobulinemia have been studied. Quantitative analysis has shown a IgG and IgM prevalence, the last ones of monoclonal type in 77.8% of the cases, with anti IgG activity in 44.4%. Concerning cryoglobulins found in idiopathic GN, the Authors observed a high incidence in the forms with cellular proliferation and glomerular exudation, as rapidly progressing GN, the acute post-infectious GN, and the mesangio-capillary GN. Among the GN related to systemic diseases, high incidence of cryoglobulins has been observed in lupus nephritis and polyartheritis. In both diseases (idiopathic GN and GN related to systemic diseases) a good correlation was found between clinical-ordinary activity and immunological parameters such as circulating immune complexes and complement breakdown products. The correlation between cryoglobulins level and disease activity is less evident in the mixed essential cryoglobulinemia G.N. Furthermore the Authors discuss here the pathogenesis of cryoglobulins in human G.N.