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Table 1 Types of cryoglobulinaemia

From: A “cat”-astrophic case of Bartonella infective endocarditis causing secondary cryoglobulinemia: a case report

Feature

Type I (monoclonal)

Type II (mixed)

Type III (mixed)

Frequency

25%

25%

50%

Cryoglobulin composition

Monoclonal IgM (sometimes IgG, IgA)

Combination of monoclonal (usually IgM) and polyclonal (usually IgG)

Polyclonal immunoglobulins IgG and IgM

Common causes

Lymphoproliferative diseases, multiple myeloma and Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia

Hepatitis C virus infection

Hepatitis C virus infection, Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis

Primary manifestations

Hyperviscosity ± thrombosis

Immune complex mediated vasculitis with multi-organ involvement