Abstract
Since the development of AIDS in patients with hemophilia, studies have revealed decreases in T4/T8 ratios and other immunologic parameters. We report here serial studies over 5 years of lymphocyte proliferation (LP) using OKT3 and PHA as mitogens and of T cell numbers and subsets using OKT3, OKT4, and OKT8 including 31 observations in 14 children with hemophilia now < 15 years of age. 12 of 14 were anti- HIV+. LP-T3 increased in 10 of 14 patients. The mean LP-T3 per year from 1983 to 1986 was: 38,900 cpm (n=5), 38,100cpm (8), 52,100cpm (8), & 71,300cpm (9) respectively (p<0.05 for increase over time); controls were 66,000cpm. The other data were consistent with the serial decreases found by other studies. LP-PHA was decreased and did not change from '83 to '86. The T4/T8 ratios averaged 1.0 and were unchanged, and the absolute number of T4+ cells decreased but not significantly. There was an increase in %T3-(%T4+%T8) over time but it and changes in LP-PHA were unrelated to changes in LP-T3. Children with hemophilia exposed to HIV, as with our older patients, have had a dramatically increased responsiveness to OKT3 in 1985-1986 compared to 1983-1984 without change in other immune parameters. This may be the first sign of immune recovery from chronic HIV infection, perhaps because of the universal use of heat-treated factor VIII concentrate. Alternatively this may be a sign of the immunopathy of HIV reflecting the appearance of abnormal OKT3+ T4-T8-cells.
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Bussel, J., Welte, C., Rnhinstein, P. et al. SERIAL STUDY OF IMMUNE FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH HEMOPHILIA. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 297 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00779
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00779