GISC protocol experience in the treatment of essential mixed cryoglobulinaemia.

Objective: We compared the efficacy of interferon and deflazacort in the treatment of the cryoglobulinaemic syndrome and assessed the usefulness of adding a low antigen diet to drug therapy.

Methods: We studied 63 patients randomly allocated to different groups who underwent clinical and laboratory examinations every two months and who received treatment for 12 months or until a significant clinical event appeared.

Results: Five of 28 patients treated with interferon showed clinical improvement whereas 4 worsened and 7 suffered untoward side effects; seven of 28 patients treated with deflazacort improved, 4 worsened and 4 suffered drug toxicity.

Sonography after renal biopsy: assessment of its role in 230 consecutive cases.

Among 230 patients undergoing ultrasound (US) guided renal biopsy, 218 had postbiopsy sonography. Clinical records were reviewed to correlate symptoms to US findings. In each case of large hematoma (thickness above 1 cm), all postbiopsy sonographic studies were analyzed to look for findings indicative of unfavorable outcome.

The clinical significance of IgA rheumatoid factor in idiopathic IgA mesangial nephropathy (Berger's disease).

IgA rheumatoid factor, IgA and IgG immune complexes were measured in 119 patients with IgA nephropathy. IgA rheumatoid factor was detected in 62/119 (52%) patients and in 92/265 (35%) serum samples. There was a good correlation (p less than 0.