A prospective study of HIV-infected haemophilic boys and the prognostic significance of immune and haematological abnormalities.

Fifty-seven haemophilic boys have been studied prospectively determining T lymphocyte subsets and haematological parameters over a period of 26 months. Clinical follow up of these patients has continued for a further 41 months. At the beginning of the study 21 boys were HIV antibody seropositive and seroconversion was documented in a further 9 during the study period, giving a 52.6% incidence of HIV seropositivity. It has been possible to define a group of patients with persistently falling T4 values and these have shown clinical evidence of HIV infection. Although persistent generalized lymphadenopathy has been observed in 30% of HIV antibody positive boys and some boys have had unexplained fevers, only one boy has progressed to have the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) some 5 years and 3 months from HIV seroconversion. This boy had a persistently falling T4 value. The importance of these findings is discussed. To date the abnormalities found in these haemophilic boys irrespective of their age are similar to those already reported in adult haemophiliacs.