Chronic hepatitis C virus infection: prevalence of cryoglobulinemia and renal affection in the Egyptian patients.

The association between mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), chronic hepatitis C virus (CHC), and renal insufficiency was documented. This paper aimed to determine the prevalence of cryoglobulinemia (CG), and renal affection drug-naïve Egyptian patients suffering from CHC-in a cross-sectional study So, 53 patients with CHC and 20 healthy controls were included. Parameters investigated covered; HCV antibodies, HCV RNA, liver profile (AST, ALT, serum albumin, total bilirubin, prothrombin time), renal profile (urea, uric acid, creatinine clearance, urinary albumin), CG, C3, C4, & three MDRD equations to calculate the GFR. The results showed that CG was found in all patients, but none in controls. The renal markers showed that none of the patients suffered frank nephropathy, but were at increased risk for developing kidney disease.