Cryoglobulinemia Treatment & Management

  • Author: Adam M Tritsch, MD; Chief Editor: Herbert S Diamond, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jan 18, 2012
 

Medical Care

The goal of therapy is to treat underlying conditions, as well as to limit the precipitant cryoglobulin and the resultant inflammatory effects.[39] Thus, HCV testing is required. HCV-antibody or HCV-RNA testing may be diagnostic. If HCV test results are negative and clinical suspicion remains high, these tests may be performed on the cryoprecipitate. Asymptomatic cryoglobulinemia does not require treatment. Some authors recommend intervening as little as possible except when faced with severe deterioration of renal or neurologic function. Secondary cryoglobulinemia is best managed with treatment of the underlying malignancy or associated disease. Otherwise, cryoglobulinemia is treated simply with suppression of the immune response. A paucity of controlled studies evaluating the relative efficacy of various therapies limits the use of existing data.

  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be used in patients with arthralgia and fatigue.
  • Immunosuppressive medications (eg, corticosteroid therapy and/or cyclophosphamide or azathioprine) are indicated upon evidence of organ involvement such as vasculitis, renal disease, progressive neurologic findings, or disabling skin manifestations.
  • Plasmapheresis is indicated for severe or life-threatening complications related to in vivo cryoprecipitation or serum hyperviscosity. Concomitant use of high-dose corticosteroids and cytotoxic agents is recommended for reduction of immunoglobulin production. Some authors recommend using concomitant cytotoxic medications or corticosteroids to reduce a rebound phenomenon that may develop after plasmapheresis.
  • Pegylated interferon alfa (IFN-alfa) combined with ribavirin has demonstrated efficacy in patients with cryoglobulinemia associated with hepatitis C, and efficacy in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemias and low-grade lymphomas has been reported. The details of therapy and the recommended approach vary based on the clinical setting, and expert opinion should be sought.[40]
  • Case reports have detailed the remission of hepatitis B–related cryoglobulinemic vasculitis with entecavir therapy.[41]
  • Small and uncontrolled studies suggest the anti-CD20 chimeric monoclonal antibody rituximab is effective in controlling disease manifestations such as vasculitis, peripheral neuropathy, arthralgias, low-grade B-cell lymphomas, renal disease, and fever.[42, 43] Rituximab therapy has been used predominately in HCV-related mixed cryoglobulinemia refractory to or unsuitable for corticosteroids and antiviral (IFN-alfa) therapy. Rituximab therapy is reportedly well tolerated in this patient population; however, treatment results in increased titers of HCV-RNA of undetermined significance. The National Institutes of Health has launched a large trial of rituximab in the treatment of mixed cryoglobulinemia.
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Consultations

  • Rheumatologist or clinical immunologist
  • Nephrologist upon evidence of renal disease (ie, hypertension, abnormal findings on urinalysis)
  • Hematologist upon evidence of underlying hematological disease or for plasmapheresis
  • Gastroenterologist or hepatologist for patients with underlying hepatitis
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Adam M Tritsch, MD  Resident Physician, Department of Internal Medicine, Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia

Adam M Tritsch, MD, is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians

Disclosure: Amgen Stocks None

Coauthor(s)

Craig Ainsworth, MD  Chief of Medical Residents, Department of Internal Medicine, Eisenhower Army Medical Center

Craig Ainsworth, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Colin C Edgerton, MD  Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia; Chief of Rheumatology Service, Eisenhower Army Medical Center

Colin C Edgerton, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American College of Rheumatology, and Clinical Immunology Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Robert John Oglesby, MD  Chief of Rheumatology Service, Department of Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center; Associate Professor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Robert John Oglesby, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American College of Rheumatology, and Arthritis Foundation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Kristine M Lohr, MD, MS  Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Center for the Advancement of Women's Health and Division of Rheumatology, Director, Rheumatology Training Program, University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Kristine M Lohr, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians and American College of Rheumatology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Lawrence H Brent, MD  Associate Professor of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University; Chair, Program Director, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Albert Einstein Medical Center

Lawrence H Brent, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of Immunologists, American College of Physicians, and American College of Rheumatology

Disclosure: Abbott Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Centocor Consulting fee Consulting; Genentech Grant/research funds Other; HGS/GSK Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Omnicare Consulting fee Consulting; Pfizer Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Roche Speaking and teaching; Savient Honoraria Speaking and teaching; UCB Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP  Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, and Society of General Internal Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Herbert S Diamond, MD  Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Chairman Emeritus, Department of Internal Medicine, Western Pennsylvania Hospital

Herbert S Diamond, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American College of Rheumatology, American Medical Association, and Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Merck Ownership interest Other; Smith Kline Ownership interest Other; Zimmer Ownership interest Other

Additional Contributors

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous coauthor Timothy M Straight, MD, to the development and writing of this article.

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Rash on lower extremities typical of cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis due to cryoglobulinemia secondary to hepatitis C infection.
Renal biopsy sample that shows membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in a patient with hepatitis C–associated cryoglobulinemia (hematoxylin and eosin; magnified X 200).
 
 
 
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