High values of CXCL10 serum levels in patients with hepatitis C associated mixed cryoglobulinemia in presence or absence of autoimmune thyroiditis

The aim of this study was to evaluate CXCL10 serum levels in patients with hepatitis C virus chronic infection (HCV) associated mixed cyoglobulinemia (MC), in the presence or absence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AT). CXCL10 was assayed in 50 MC patients without AT, in 40 MC patients with AT (MC+AT), in 2 gender- and age-matched control groups [50 healthy controls (without HCV or AT; control); 40 controls with AT (without HCV and MC; control+AT)]. CXCL10 was significantly higher: (1) in control+AT than in control (p<0.001); (2) in MC patients than in control (p<0.001); (3) in MC+AT patients than in control (p<0.001), control+AT (p<0.001), or in MC (p=0.002). CXCL10 was significantly increased in MC+AT patients with thyroid hypoechogenicity (388+/-147 vs 302+/-112; p=0.03), or hypothyroidism (391+/-142 vs 307+/-118; p=0.04), compared to those without. By defining a high CXCL10 level as a value at least 2 SD above the mean value of the control (>167 pg/ml), 8% of control, 22% of control+AT, 47% of MC and 80% of MC+AT had high CXCL10 (p<0.0001). In conclusion, our study is the first to demonstrate high serum levels of CXCL10 in MC and that CXCL10 in MC+AT patients are significantly higher compared to MC patients.