Significance of viral coinfections by HIV, HTLV-I, Epstein-Barr virus, and cytomegalovirus for immunological abnormalities in hemophiliacs.
In order to clarify the influence of viral coinfection on the immunological abnormalities of hemophiliacs infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 69 patients were examined. Of the 69, 35 (50.7%) were HIV-antibody positive (HIV-Ab+). Two of them were acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the remaining 33 were asymptomatic carriers (AC). Anti-HTLV-I was found in 6 of 43 (14.3%), and 2 of these 6 were also HIV-Ab+. The frequencies of positive anti-viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgG against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG were 47 of 51 (92.2%) and 42 of 49 (85.7%), respectively, while the titer of the former was higher in the HIV-Ab+ group than in the HIV-Ab- group (p less than 0.02). Nevertheless, no significant difference between these two groups was found as to the frequencies of these antibodies and of such early markers as anti-VCA IgM, early antigen (EA)-DR, and anti-CMV IgM. The results obtained showed no significant evidences that these viral superinfections facilitate the immunosuppression due to the HIV itself as correlated with the HIV antigenemia (thus accelerating the development of AIDS), or that they promote its autoantibody production. However, such possibilities did seem to be undeniable in some HIV-infected patients.
Okubo
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
Yasunaga
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000347:Afibrinogenemia / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral