Transfusion-Induced Immunologic Abnormalities Not Related to AIDS Virus

To the Editor: Immunologic abnormalities characteristic of AIDS, including the lowering or inversion of the ratio of helper to suppressor T lymphocytes, and diminished natural-killer-cell activity have been detected in otherwise healthy subjects with hemophilia who receive clotting factor, and in subjects with congenital anemias who receive repeated blood transfusions.^{1 2 3} Because both groups are known to be at risk of infection with the blood-borne virus responsible for AIDS, the question arises whether the immunologic abnormalities detected in these subjects developed as a result of infection with the AIDS-associated retrovirus or as a consequence of repeated transfusion. To address this issue.