Transfusion associated AIDS

✍ Scribed by Jay E. Menitove

• Book ID: 102297096
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 287 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0733-2459
• DOI: 10.1002/jca.2920020435

✦ Synopsis

The Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is currently defined as a condition in which previously healthy individuals develop profound derangements of the immune system that ultimately result in "opportunistic" infections and malignancies. Patients with AIDS have fever, chills, night sweats, weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, and are subject to infections with "opportunistic" organisms including Pneumocystis carinii, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, and atypical mycobacteria. Neoplastic complications such as Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphomas also develop in these patients. The "opportunistic" infections and malignancies may respond to appropriate therapy, but the underlying immune defect persists, and the patients eventually succumb to a recurrence of infection or tumor.

Patients with AIDS have decreased numbers of lymphocytes, a marked reduction in T-helper (OKT-4) to T-suppressor (OKT-8) cell ratio

, decreased response to lymphocyte mitogen stimulation, decreased natural killer cell activity, and elevated levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA. The increased levels of immunoglobulin reflects polyclonal activation of Blymphocytes rather than specific antibody production. In fact , there is evidence suggesting that acquired B-cell defects are present in addition to the T-cell abnormalities. inc 1 ude : Laboratory test results illustrate the profound defects of the immune system. Individuals at high risk for AIDS are categorized into one of four groups. These