LYMPHOMA, CRYOGLOBULINEMIA, AND RENAL-DISEASE

The short case report of a 50-year-old man is presented who developed diffuse lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly and proteinuria suggesting the presence of glomerulonephritis, hypertension and massive cryoglobulins in the serum with activation of the complement system and with 53% lymphoid cells in the peripheral blood smear. The patient was treated with cyclophosphamide, prednisone and two large volume (4000 cc) plasma-phereses and small doses of propranolol. The types of the cryoglobulins and their pathological significance in cryoglobulinemias and in connection with rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis are discussed. The interesting new therapeutic procedure of plasma-pheresis, introduced by the author in such cases is remarkable. Its beneficial effects may be related to the decrease in the concentration of cryoglobulins in the serum and averting the formation of cryoprecipitates in the tissues. The patient referred to was well after one year of the introduction of the therapy.