GBV-C/HGV and HCV infection in mixed cryoglobulinaemia

Recently, a new, suspected hepatotropic virus has been identified. Named CBV-C/HCV, this virus shares with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) routes of transmission and molecular organization. Indeed, a proportion of HCV-infected patients (10-25%) are also carriers of CBV-C/HGV. Since mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC) is closely associated with HCV infection, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CBV-C/HCV infection in MC patients, and to investigate whether the double infection influenced the clinical and/or laboratory aspects of the disease. 52 patients affected by MC were studied. 100 patients affected by HCV-positive chronic liver disease (CLD) without MC were used as control group. To determine the prevalence of CBV-C/HCV infection in general population, 150 blood donors were studied, as well as 80 patients affected by nonA-E CLD. Among the MC patients, only five (9.6%) were positive for both HCV and CBV-C/HCV infection. No difference was found between patients with and without double infection as regards main clinical and laboratory aspects. Among HCV-positive CLD cases, 27 were positive for double infection. Among blood donors, the prevalence of CBV- C/HCV infection was 8.0%, whereas in cases with cryptogenetic CLD the prevalence was 5.0%. In conclusion, these data show that CBV-C/HCV infection does not play any role in the pathogenesis of MC.