부산대학교 도서관

Mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis is associated with the monoclonal expansion of pathognomonic B cells in chronic hepatitis C. Recently, treatment with B-cell depletion, including rituximab, a CD20 monoclonal antibody, has been successful in achieving remission from the active disease. We investigated whether B-cell depletion therapy has an impact on activation of non-B cells in the periphery. Results demonstrated that B-cell depletion therapy is associated with a statistically significant decline in activated T cells, from pretherapy to follow-up while on rituximab therapy: CD4+ CD38+ HLA-DR+ (DR+), CD8+ CD38, CD8+ CD38+ DR+, and CD8+ DR+. Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score and cryoglobulin had a strong correlation coefficient ( R) of 0.72 ( P=.0005), while cryoglobulin showed moderate correlation with CD8+ DR+ ( R=.61), CD3+ CD38+ DR+ ( R=.57), CD3+ DR+ ( R=.50), CD4+ CD38+ DR+ ( R=.53), CD4+ DR+ ( R=.52), and CD8+ CD38+ DR+ ( R=.67). These results suggest B-cell expansion has a direct and indirect effect on the pathogenesis of Hepatitis C-associated mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]