Isolation of retroviruses from two patients with "common variable" hypogammaglobulinaemia.

Retroviruses related to human T-lymphotropic virus III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) have been isolated from peripheral-blood mononuclear cells of two patients with "common variable" hypogammaglobulinaemia who were being treated with intravenous gammaglobulin. One has had three different opportunistic infections. In both patients hypogammaglobulinaemia developed within 6 years of a longlasting undiagnosed viral-like illness in adolescence, and it is suggested that the virus causing that illness also gave rise to the hypogammaglobulinaemia. However, iatrogenic infection from intravenous gammaglobulin cannot be ruled out.