Acid-labile alpha interferon. A possible preclinical marker for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in hemophilia. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1983. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Acid-labile alpha interferon. A possible preclinical marker for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in hemophilia.

N Engl J Med. 1983 Sep 8;309(10):583-6. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/83271305
Eyster ME; Goedert JJ; Poon MC; Preble OT

Abstract: Many homosexual men with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have an unusual acid-labile form of human leukocyte, or alpha, interferon in their serum. Male patients with classic hemophilia treated with lyophilized clotting-factor concentrates are also at high risk for the development of AIDS. To determine whether the level of alpha interferon may be a preclinical marker of early subclinical disease, we examined stored plasma and serum from three hemophilic patients with AIDS. Persistently elevated levels of the acid-labile form of alpha interferon were found in all three patients. In two patients the appearance of circulating alpha interferon preceded the onset of clinical disease by 3 to 10 months. In contrast, alpha-interferon levels were not elevated in 43 of 46 unselected patients with hemophilia; three of these patients had transient elevations. These results suggest that acid-labile alpha interferon may be a marker that can be used to identify affected asymptomatic members of high-risk groups before the onset of clinical disease.
Keywords: Acids Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/BLOOD/*DIAGNOSIS Adult Case Report Child Factor VIII/THERAPEUTIC USE Hemophilia/*COMPLICATIONS/THERAPY Human Interferon Type I/*BLOOD Male Middle Age Risk Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDacidsacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/blood/KWDdiagnosisadultcasereportchildfactorviii/therapeuticusehemophilia/KWDcomplications/therapyhumaninterferontypei/KWDbloodmalemiddleagerisksupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tsupport,uKWDsKWDgov't,non-pKWDhKWDsKWDsupport,uKWDsKWDgov't,pKWDhKWDsKWDjournalarticle
831130
M83B0018

Copyright © 1983 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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