1. Immunologic defects in young male patients with hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia
- Author
-
Ronald T. Mitsuyasu, Robert Peter Gale, Richard E. Champlin, Kenneth A. Foon, R W Schroff, and Rosemary E. McIntyre
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Adolescent ,Anemia ,medicine.drug_class ,T-Lymphocytes ,Immunoglobulins ,Monoclonal antibody ,Hepatitis ,Leukocyte Count ,Immunity ,hemic and lymphatic diseases ,Internal Medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Lymphocytes ,Prospective Studies ,Aplastic anemia ,Prospective cohort study ,Child ,Immunodeficiency ,Young male ,Immunity, Cellular ,business.industry ,Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes ,Anemia, Aplastic ,Infant ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Child, Preschool ,Immunology ,Female ,business - Abstract
Extensive immunologic studies were done in 97 patients with severe aplastic anemia between 1973 and 1979. Sixteen young male patients with hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia appeared to constitute a unique subset. Compared with most patients with aplastic anemia from other causes, these 16 patients had significant reductions in the mean values of circulating T lymphocytes, serum IgG and IgM, mitogen reactivity, and decreased cutaneous hypersensitivity. The ratio of peripheral blood helper to suppressor T lymphocytes identified by monoclonal antibodies was within normal limits in 3 patients studied with hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia. Interestingly, the ratio was low (less than 1) in 3 of 7 patients studied with aplastic anemia from other causes, although the mean for these 7 patients was normal. These data suggest that patients in this subset with hepatitis-associated severe aplastic anemia have a severe immunodeficiency. Whether this immunodeficiency is the cause or result of the hepatitis or aplastic anemia, or both, is unknown.
- Published
- 1984