Abstract
Eleven neonates received blood from two HIV infected donors. All developed laboratory and/or clinical evidence of HIV infection, usually in the first year of life. Nine of 11 had serum antibody to HIV when tested between 9 and 16 months of age; two seronegative infants were severely hypogammaglobulinemic when tested. Nine patients developed a variety of illnesses characterized by hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, chronic diarrhea, failure to thrive, and thrombocytopenia. Infections, including pneumonia, mucocutaneous candidiasis, and sepsis were a major source of morbidity and mortality. Two children have remained continuously asymptomatic. In follow-up ranging from two to four years, five patients have died, four others had HIV associated illnesses, but recovered and are now healthy. All patients had immunologie abnormalities; the most consistent finding was a decreased proportion of T-helper cells. Three patients had panhypogammaglobulinemia. These infants had significantly lower numbers of T-helper cells compared to patients with normal or increased serum immunoglobulin concentrations (P=0.012). We conclude that exposure to HIV via transfusion in the neonatal period results in an extremely high rate of infection with substantial mortality and morbidity, but clinical recovery occurs in some patients. Second, hypogammaglobulinemia may be more common in infants with HIV infection than previously appreciated.
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Saulsbury, F., Wykoff, R. & Boyle, R. TRANSFUSION-ACQUIRED HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION IN NEONATES. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 317 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00899
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00899