[Immunological investigation in hemophiliacs with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection].

Immunological studies were carried out in three HIV-seropositive hemophiliacs and the results were compared with those of 26 HIV-seronegative hemophiliacs 18 normal controls. In the three HIV-seropositive hemophiliacs it was demonstrated that there was a decrease in peripheral helper T cells, a fact significantly different from normal controls (P less than 0.05); there was an increase in peripheral suppressor T cells and a decrease in helper to suppressor T cell ratio, another fact significantly different from normal controls (P less than 0.005, P less than 0.002 respectively) as well as HIV-seronegative hemophiliacs (P less than 0.02). In addition, all three HIV-seropositive hemophiliacs had anergy for 1:2000 OT test. It appeared that these immunological abnormalities are the results of HIV infection. The number of peripheral helper T cell and suppressor T cells and the ratio of helper to suppressor cells in the HIV-seronegative hemophiliacs did not differ from those in normal controls. Among 15 HIV-seronegative hemophiliacs tested with 1:2000 OT, only two showed anergy. The findings in our study differed somewhat from those reported abroad. This difference may be due to the fact that our hemophilic patients had been treated with much smaller doses of blood products for alleviating coagulation defects.