Augmentation of CD8 and CD4 lymphocytes subsets in AIDS infected children after treatment with a non-toxic chelating agents compound--Rodilemid.

Twelve children were included into the protocol, 5 in March 1989 and 7 in April 1993. All of them were HIV 1 positive and had diarrhoea, important adenopathy and opportunistic infections. Seven out of 12 patients had an immunological monitoring. One out of 12 children with B hepatitis died with liver cirrhosis. Eleven children had a clear improvement in their clinical course, during the treatment. Five out of 7 patients had a significant increase of the CD4 lymphocytes at 4 and 7 months follow-up. Four patients had an important and significant increase of the CD8 count at 4 months and 6 out of 7 patients at 7 months. Interestingly, in 4 out of 7 patients after 7 months treatment we observed higher than normal value of the CD8 count. Variations observed for CD8 population compared to CD4 were more important.