Abstract
We compared: 1) children (<18 years old) who have hemophilia-AIDS with other children with AIDS and with adults who have hemophilia-AIDS and 2) asymptomatic HIV-infected hemophiliac children with asymptomatic HIV-infected hemophiliac adults. Children with hemophilia-AIDS were older than other children with AIDS (medians 13 and 1 years, respectively), but had similar incidences of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) (51% vs. 53%) and case-fatality ratios (57% vs. 61%). Children with hemophilia-AIDS had PCP significantly less often than did adults with hemophilia-AIDS, but both had similar case fatality ratios (adults: 72% with PCP, 60% deceased). Significantly more hemophiliac children than adults were non white (30% vs. 14%), and more resided in New York State (19% vs. 9%, not significant). For hemophiliacs without AIDS, the immune effects of HIV infection on children did not differ meaningfully from those upon adults; these included significantly decreased Thelper lymphocyte numbers, significantly decreased Thelper-to-Tsuppressor lymphocyte ratios, and increased serum immunoglobulin levels. The immune effects of HIV on asymptomatic pediatric and adult hemophiliacs are similar, and AIDS occurring in older children, infected through factor products, is similar to perinatally acquired AIDS. The factors related to the major differences between hemophiliac children and hemophiliac adults with AIDS are currently unknown and warrant further investigation.
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Jason, J., Evatt, B. HIV INFECTION IN HEMOPHILIAC CHILDREN. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 327 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00958
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00958