Journal article
Characterization of Antibodies Directed against the Immunoglobulin Light kappa Chain Variable Chain Region (VK) of Hepatitis C Virus-Related Type-II Mixed Cryoglobulinemia and B-Cell Proliferations
Valli de Re, Maria Paola Simula, Alessandro Pavan, Marica Garziera, Dolores Marin, Riccardo Dolcetti, Salvatore de Vita, Domenico Sansonno, Silvano Geremia, Giuseppe Toffoli, Y Shoenfeld (ed.), ME Gershwin (ed.)
CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN AUTOIMMUNITY | WILEY-BLACKWELL | Published : 2009
Abstract
Autoimmune type-II cryoglobulinemia (II-MC) is sustained by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and B-cell (oligo)clones. This is the reason why the disease may be considered an "indolent B-cell lymphoma (NHL)." B clones show a restricted use of immunoglobulin variable genes (BCR), in particular in the use of the variable kappa (VK)3-20/15 light chain, and show a homology between their BCR functional regions and those of autoimmune rheumatoid factors. We underlined the BCR unique repertoire with frequent rheumatoid factor activity also observed in other autoimmune disorders associated with NHL. The immunoglobulin idiotype is a clonal B-cell marker and an ideal target for immunotherapy. Five mo..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the Centro di Biomedicina Molecolare (CBM), which provided the Proteomic Instruments. The Study was supported by Alleanza Contro 11 Cancro (DM 21 luglio 2006, Art. 3). The authors also wish to thank Mrs. Anna Vallerugo for her writing assistance.