Idiopathic Mixed Cryoglobulinemia: A New Therapeutic Approach with Alpha Interferon

Idiopathic mixed cryoglobulinemia (I.M.C.) sustained by diffuse lympho-proliferation is a disorder of unknown cause characterized clinically by arthralgias, purpura, weakness, glomerulonephritis and generalized vasculitis (Meltzer et AL, 1966). The diagnosis is based on finding cryoprecipitable serum proteins generally consisting of policlonal IgG and either policlonal or monoclonal IgM with rheumatoid factor or antigammaglobulin activity. The treatment of cryoglobulinemia is directed toward minimizing the signs and symptoms due to the presence of cryoglobulins and consists of drug therapy, immunosuppressive agents and plasmapheresis. Neither plasmapheresis nor immunosuppresors achieve definite successful results in this disease. On the other hand the good results reported with IFN in lymphoproliferative diseases suggested us to try it in 2 patients affected with I.M.C.