[The present status in prophylaxis and treatment of HIV infected patients with hemophilia in Japan].

Thirty six hemophiliacs with HIV infection were treated with high-dose glycyrrhizin, Stronger Neo-Minophagen C (SNMC). The dose was 100-200 ml of SNMC in eighteen patients and 400-800 ml in the other 18. The patients were divided into an asymptomatic carrier (AC) group and AIDS related complex (ARC)/AIDS group. SNMC was administered intravenously daily for the first 3 weeks, every second day for the following 8 weeks to 36 HIV positive hemophilia patients in accordance with the protocol proposed by the Japanese National Research Committee. The CD 4/CD 8 ratio and CD 4 positive lymphocyte counts did not change during the treatment period. However, significant improvement was noted in some cases. A slight increase in mitogenic responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin, Concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen was noted in most patients of both groups, especially in the AC group administered over 400 ml of SNMC. Furthermore, complete improvement was noted in liver dysfunction, which has been thought to be a major problem in hemophiliacs treated with blood products. Thus prophylactic administration of high-dose SNMC to HIV positive hemophiliacs having impaired immunological ability and liver dysfunction was considered to be effective to prevent the development from AC/ARC to AIDS.