[Myocardial involvement in AIDS. Echographic study in 85 human immunodeficiency virus infected patients]

Histological and echographic studies of HIV-seropositive patients demonstrated the reality of myocardial involvement during the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Eight-five seropositive, asymptomatic patients, 55 of them classified as group IV (CDC criteria), were subjected to echocardiography and measurement of the reduction of the left ventricle fraction. An echographic anomaly was found in 8/85 seropositive patients and in 7/55 group IV patients. This affect on left ventricular contractility seems to occur in patients with a low number of CD4+ lymphocytes (p = NS) and is statistically significantly associated with the level of anti-P24 antibodies/antigenemia (absence of antibodies and positive antigenemia) (p less than 0.05).