ANTIBODY TO LYMPHADENOPATHY-ASSOCIATED VIRUS IN HAEMOPHILIACS WITH AND WITHOUT AIDS

To determine the incidence of antibody to lymphadenopathy-associated virus/human T-lymphotropic virus type III (LAV/HTLV-III) serum was collected from 25 Georgian patients with hemophilia A 4 patients with hemophilia B 15 hemophiliacs with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) 2 brothers with hemophilia A and lymphadenopathy and their parents the wife and 3 adult children of a hemophiliac with AIDS and 5 controls. Antibody to LAV proteins p25 and p41 was detected in the serum of 18 (72%) of the 25 patients with hemophilia A who used factor VIII in 1980-82 but had no symptoms associated with AIDS. White cell total lymphocyte T lymphocyte T helper and suppressor cell counts and the T helper/T suppressor ratio were not significantly different between seropositive and seronegative hemophilia A patients. The amount of factor VIII concentrate used by seropositive patients however was significantly higher than the amount used by seronegative patients. All patients who received over 150000 units of factor VIII in 1980-82 were seropositive. None of the 4 hemophilia B patients all of whom were being treated with factor IX concentrates had antibodies to LAV/HTLV-III. Of 15 AIDS patients with hemophilia A 5 had antibody to LAV p25 and p41 proteins. All 15 had severe immunosuppression and had received large amounts of factor VIII concentrates. Antibody was not found in the wife and offspring of the hemophilia patient with AIDS or in the parents of the 2 siblings with lymphadenopathy. Patients with hemophilia B in general have not manifested the degree of immune abnormalities seen in hemophilia A. Comparison of these results with data from other studies suggests that the prevalence of LAV antibody in hemophiliacs is greater than that in homosexuals and the same as that found in lymphadenopathy-associated syndrome. These findings support the belief that LAV may be transmitted by some blood products.