HTLV-III/LAV antibody and immune status of household contacts and sexual partners of persons with hemophilia.
We evaluated the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) antibody and immune status of 88 persons living with and/or sexual partners of 43 hemophiliacs, 12 of whom had AIDS, five of whom had AIDS-related complex (ARC), 17 of whom were clinically well but HTLV-III/LAV antibody positive, and nine of whom were well and HTLV-III/LAV antibody negative. No nonhemophilic household contacts (0/50) of healthy hemophiliacs were HTLV-III/LAV antibody positive; two of 33 nonhemophilic AIDS/ARC contacts were positive. One was a spouse and one a sexual partner of a hemophiliac. One of these antibody-positive contacts herself had AIDS, and one had ARC. Antibody-negative, nonhemophilic contacts of AIDS/ARC and of antibody-positive hemophiliacs had significantly lower numbers of lymphocytes, T helper lymphocytes, and T suppressor lymphocytes than did contacts of antibody-negative hemophiliacs. We conclude that risk of HTLV-III/LAV transmission may exist for spouses and/or sexual contacts of hemophiliacs with AIDS/ARC, but we cannot now determine the risk for contacts of asymptomatic hemophiliacs.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral