An immunologic study of spouses and siblings of asymptomatic hemophiliacs

A transmissible agent may be responsible for the recent occurrence of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in female heterosexual partners and infant contacts of AIDS victims or of persons at increased risk for AIDS. Therefore, we evaluated the clinical and immunologic status of 18 hemophiliac-spouse pairs and 19 hemophiliac-sibling pairs. Using surface marker assays of lymphocyte subpopulations, we found a mean T helper cell/T suppressor cell (H/S) ratio +/- SEM in 18 hemophiliac adults of 1.11 +/- 0.15 (11 less than 1.00), in their 18 spouses of 1.88 +/- 0.13 (none less than 1.00), in 19 hemophiliac children of 1.54 +/- 0.11 (3 less than 1.00), and in their 19 siblings of 1.87 +/- 0.11 (none less than 1.00). Both hemophiliac adult and hemophiliac children mean H/S ratios differed significantly (p less than 0.05) from the control mean ratio of 2.22 +/- 0.16 and from the mean of their respective nonhemophiliac spouse or sibling group (p less than 0.05). The mean ratio of hemophiliac adults differed significantly from that of hemophiliac children (p less than 0.05). These findings suggest that lymphocyte alterations in hemophiliacs are secondary to their therapy, are not influenced by genetic factors, and are not related to an infectious agent that is easily transmissible by close contact.