Hepatitis C virus infection in Italian patients with fibromyalgia.

We evaluated the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Italian patients suffering from fibromyalgia (FM), in comparison with patients affected by non-HCV related rheumatic degenerative disorders. Consecutive patients with FM and a statistically comparable group of patients suffering from peripheral osteoarthritis (OA) or sciatica due to L4-L5 or L5-S1 herniated disc were tested for HCV infection with a third-generation microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA). In the positive cases, a third-generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) confirmatory test and serum HCV-RNA test were performed.

Acute myositis in a patient with systemic sclerosis after the administration of darbepoetin alpha.

We first describe the onset of acute myositis in a patient suffering from systemic sclerosis after the administration of darbepoetin alpha for renal failure-related anemia. Therapeutic implications and risks are discussed.

Purpura and serum mixed cryoglobulinemia in psoriatic arthritis.

We here firstly describe the case of a psoriatic arthritis associated with cutaneous purpura and lower limbs weakness. The presence of type III mixed cryoglobulinemia in serum was the only possible detected cause. Discrepancies with the hepatitis C virus-related mixed cryoglobulinemia picture are discussed.

Severe hypertriglyceridaemia in idiopathic (non-HCV-related) mixed cryoglobulinaemia.

We describe a 28-year-old male patient in whom the development of idiopathic mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC) with typical clinical manifestations such as polyarthralgia, weakness, purpura, and Raynaud's phenomenon was associated with a remarkable increase in serum triglycerides (TG). Prednisone administration was effective in classical cryoglobulinaemia symptoms and also in dyslipidaemia. Infective, autoimmune, and haematological disorders are often related to cryoglobulinaemia and it has been analysed that some of them also show an increase in TG.

Hepatitis C virus infection in psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), compared with patients affected by non HCV-related rheumatic degenerative disorders.

Methods: One-hundred consecutive subjects with PsA, and a statistically comparable group of 100 consecutive patients with peripheral osteoarthritis (OA) or sciatica due to L4-L5 or L5-S1 herniated disc were tested for HCV infection with a third-generation microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA). Positive cases were submitted to a third-generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) confirmatory test.