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Cryoglobulinemia

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Definition:

Cryoglobulinemia is the presence of abnormal proteins in the blood. These abnormal proteins become thick or gel-like in cold temperatures.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Cryoglobulins are antibodies . It is not yet known why they become solid at low temperatures. When they do thicken or become somewhat gel-like, they can block blood vessels throughout the body. This may lead to complications ranging from skin rashes to kidney failure.

Cryoglobulinemia is part of a group of diseases that cause vasculitis -- damage and inflammation of the blood vessels throughout the body. The disorder is grouped into three main types, depending on the type of antibody that is produced:

• Cryoglobulinemia type I
• Cryoglobulinemia typeII
• Cryoglobulinemia type III

Types II and III are also referred to as mixed cryoglobulinemia .

Type I cryoglobulinemia is most often related to cancer of the blood or immune systems.

Types II and III are most often found in people who have a chronic (long-lasting) inflammatory condition, such as an autoimmune disease or hepatitis C. Most patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia have a chronic hepatitis C infection.

Other conditions that may be related to cryoglobulinemia include:

• Leukemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Mycoplasma pneumonia
• Primary macroglobulinemia
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus

References:

Goldman L, Ausiello D. Cecil Textbook of Medicine . 22nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2004:1193.

Rakel P, ed. Conn ’s Current Therapy 2006 . 58th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2006:980, 1164.

Harris ED, Budd RC, Genovese MC, Firestein GS, Sargent JS, Sledge CB. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology . 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2005:1392-1393.

• Review Date: 3/28/2007
• Reviewed By: Mark Levin, MD, Hematologist and Oncologist, Newark, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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