Epidemiology of HIV infection in multitransfused hemophilic patients in France. French Study Group in Hemophilia.

A total of 27 hemophilia centers treating patients all over France responded to a questionnaire about the progression of HIV infection in multitransfused patients. Information from 2,049 hemophilic patients was collected. The prevalence of HIV infection in French hemophiliacs was 48%, the same as the percentage in 1985, demonstrating that the methods of viral inactivation of concentrates and screening of blood donors are efficient. However, the number of patients with AIDS increased from 14 to 26 and patients dead from opportunistic infection from 47 to 14 in 1 year. There is also evidence of clinical symptoms of AIDS-related complex and biological symptoms of immunodeficiency in this population of seropositive French hemophiliacs.