[Cryoglobulinemia]

Abstract

Cryoglobulins are immunoglobulins that precipitate at temperatures below 37 degrees C. They mainly occur in association with hepatitis C but also in other persistent viral infections and autoimmune as well as hematologic diseases. As circulating immune-complexes, they can cause severe tissue damage in virtually all organs, in particular the skin, joints and kidneys. This article gives a review on the different types of cryoglobulinemia, their clinical presentation and current therapeutic strategies.