AIDS and Immunologic Abnormalities In European and American Hemophiliacs

Reports of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in U S hemophiliacs prompted us to survey European Hemophilia Centers to determine the frequency of AIDS and other disorders of immunity. Data was obtained from 29 Hemophilia Centers in 15 countries, representing 4,310 hemophilic patients. Therapeutic concentrates, of local and commercial origin, had been in use in these Centers for an average of 12 years (range 5–25 years). Despite this long exposure, only 5 possible cases of AIDS were identified, and a few of these did not strictly fulfill the criteria for diagnosis established by the U S Centers for Disease Control. Five cases of thrombocytopenia were also reported. An examination of 35 patients enrolled in our own Hemophilia Center disclosed one case of immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and 24 of the 35 (68 percent) with reversal of the T4/T8 ratio. We conclude that while disturbances of immunoregulation are common in hemophilia, to date classical AIDS has appeared infrequently.