Cryoglobulinaemia in human renal diseases. A study of seventy-six cases.

The frequency of cryoglobulinaemia was statistically significant in acute proliferative endocapillary glomerulonephritis, in membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis and in lupus glomerulonephritis. They all have in common glomerular cellular proliferation and glomerular deposits of C3. The cryoglobulins in most of these cases contain IgG and IgM. Except for acute proliferative endocapillary glomerulonephritis, a rather good correlation was observed between the cryoglobulin constituents and the immunoglobulins present in the glomerular tuft. Rheumatoid factor was very rarely found in the serum of these patients. A cryoglobulin characterized by the presence of the three immunoglobulins was also found in cirrhosis of the liver with or without proven glomerulonephritis.