Relationship of clinical and immunological abnormalities in haemophilia A to F VIII therapy and HIV exposure: a longitudinal study.
This study was established to examine the longitudinal consequences of F VIII therapy on immune function in 24 patients with haemophilia A. Antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were found in 15 of 16 patients with severe haemophilia and in 2 of 8 patients with mild disease. The principal clinical and immunological abnormalities were restricted to the HIV antibody-positive patients: T helper cell lymphopenia (less than 0.55 x 10(9)/l) in 10 patients, persistent glandular lymphadenopathy in 4 patients and depressed response to skin recall antigens in 7 of 9 HIV-positive patients tested. Although no extension of these immunological and clinical abnormalities developed in the 18-month period of monitoring, T helper cell counts and platelet counts were significantly lower in a group of patients with established long duration HIV seropositivity (since 1982/1983) in comparison with the remaining seropositive patients. This suggests that a progressive pathological process is associated with infection by this virus, but the factors which determine the long-term sequelae are still unknown.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012882:Skin Tests; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D003208:Concanavalin A; D005169:Factor VIII