HTLV‐III antibody and T‐cell subset ratios in haemophiliacs and their spouses

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Abstract
Summary. 44% of 63 British patients with either haemophilia A or B were HTLV‐III antibody positive (HTLV‐VIII +). HTLV‐III+ was more frequent in high factor VIII concentrate users and 75% of severely affected haemophilia A patients were HTLV‐III+. All eight patients who were exposed to factor IX concentrate were HTLV‐III+. 17 haemophilia A patients who received only British made factor VIII concentrate (average 12 000 units/year) were HTLV‐III−. Two of 63 patients had evidence of a pre‐AIDS type symptom complex and both were HTLV‐III+. Information from a cohort of 21 Liverpool haemophiliacs suggests that HTLV‐III was first introduced into this country in 19 81. OKT4/T8 ratios were abnormal in 52% of 21 patients studied but this finding was not confined to either HTLV‐III+ or HTLV‐III− individuals. The spouses of 14 HTLV‐III+ haemophiliacs were all HTLV‐III−.