Presence of anticardiolipin antibodies in cryoglobulins isolated from sera of hepatitis C virus infected patients

Introduction. Most extrahepatic manifestations of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are connected with influence of virus on the host’s immune system. An important part of immunologic disturbances in chronic infections is the presence of circulating immune complexes. Standard serologic methods are not applicable in analysis of complexes composition. Objectives. Detection of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) in cryoglobulins of patients with the HCV infection before and after dissociation of immune complexes. Patients and methods. Sera and croglobulins of 27 patients (19 female, 8 male) with chronic hepatitis C and with cryoglobulinemia were tested. Results. ACA were searched in serum and cryoprecipitate of 27 HCV infected patients with cryoglobulinemia – before and after dissociation of immune complexes. The presence of ACA was not confirmed in sera, but in 59% of cases they were detected in dissociated complexes from cryoprecipitate. The correlation between the presence of anti‑HCV antibodies and ACA in cryoprecipitate before dissociation of immune complexes was 0.47 (p <0.01) and after dissociation – 0.61 (p = 0.0007). There was a statistically significant correlation between the presence of purpura (vasculitis) and the presence of ACA before (p <0.002) and after dissociation of complexes (p <0.05). Conclusions. In the tested group of patients there was a high incidence of ACA (non detectable in sera) detectable after dissociation of immune complexes from cryoglobulins. The presence of ACA in cryoprecipitate is significantly connected with clinical signs of cutaneus vasculitis.