Effect of age on human immunodeficiency virus type 1-induced changes in lymphocyte populations among persons with congenital clotting disorders. Transfusion Safety Study Group

Children other than neonates infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) have low rates of progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Through 1989, 5.3% of 95 infected hemophiliacs aged 5 to 13 years developed AIDS, compared with 20.3% of 364 aged greater than or equal to 25 years. We asked whether the HIV-1 impact on peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopulations differed with age using pairwise comparisons of uninfected and infected male children and adult hemophiliacs. Infected children had lesser reductions of total lymphocytes than adults, but proportionately lower numbers of CD2+, CD4+, CD2+CD26+, and CD4+CD29+ counts. CD4+CD45RA+ cell counts were greater than twofold higher in uninfected and infected children than adults; with infection, the CD4+CD45RA+/CD4+ proportion increased by 1.4-fold in adults, but was unchanged in children. Infected adults had highly significantly increased total CD8+ counts; both age groups had elevated CD8+HLA-DR+ counts. Infected children had significantly higher total B-cell counts than infected adults, with a disproportionately lower number of resting B cells (CD20+CD21+). During 2 years of follow-up, infected children and adults had lymphocyte changes in the same directions and these were proportionately equal. The lower rate of HIV-1 progression in children may be partly associated with differences in lymphocyte populations compared with adults; functional properties of immune cells may be equally or more important.