One year follow-up study of T-cell subsets and incidence of seropositivity for HTLV-I and HTLV-III antibodies in patients treated "on demand" or sporadically with clotting concentrates.
A 1-year follow-up study of the T-cell subset abnormalities was carried out in 16 severe haemophilia A patients, treated "on demand" with an average amount of 500 U/kg/yr of factor VIII concentrate (group A) and in 15 mild haemophiliacs or von Willebrand patients treated only sporadically with less than 3000 U of factor VIII and no longer exposed to any other blood component in the 2 years preceding the beginning of the study (group B). In group A, 50% and 70% of patients showed a reduced or inverted T 4/T 8 ratio, respectively, at the beginning and at the end of follow-up. These values were of 30% and 20% in patients of group B, suggesting a long-lasting effect of concentrate therapy on T-cell subsets. The low T 4/T 8 ratio was mainly due to an increase of suppressor cells. None of the patients was found positive for anti HTLV-I, whereas 3 patients, all belonging to the group A, showed antibodies against HTLV-III. Thus, in these patients, HTLV-III seems not to be the only cause of low T 4/T 8 ratio.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D005169:Factor VIII