title: [HIV infection and splenectomy: 3 cases and literature review].
abstract: 3 splenectomized patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are described. They all presented with more than 500 CD4/mm3 but, surprisingly, with a CD4 percentage below 15, positive p24 antigenemia and a CD4/CD8 ratio below 0.24. 2 patients had repeated episodes of oropharyngeal candidiasis while their CD4 counts exceeded 800/mm3. These episodes suggested the presence of a certain degree of immuno-suppression and prompted us to introduce anti-HIV therapy. 2 patients also presented with a pulmonary infection, due to Klebsiella pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae respectively. The third patient had septicemia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae type 22, despite vaccination and a CD4 count above 700/mm3. In splenectomized HIV-infected patients the number of CD4 lymphocytes should be interpreted with caution, as this number increases after splenectomy. The CD4 percentage and CD4/CD8 ratio correlated better with the clinical stage of HIV infection and gave more valuable indications as to the degree of immunosuppression. A possible correlation between viremia and the number of CD4 lymphocytes in this subset of patients remains to be established. In HIV-infected patients, infections due to S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, S. aureus and enteric gram-negative bacteria are frequent. After splenectomy, susceptibility to encapsulated bacteria increases even in HIV-negative patients. Early vaccination against the main strains of S. pneumoniae is essential, as vaccinal response is uncertain in patients with less than 400 CD4/mm3.
authors.affiliation: Division des maladies infectieuses, Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois, Lausanne.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greub
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Erard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: von Overbeck
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013156:Splenectomy