Natural history of the AIDS related complex in hemophilia--relationships to Epstein Barr virus.

Several cases of hemophiliacs with AIDS have been reported. These case reports have prompted studies of asymptomatic healthy hemophiliacs. During these studies, we found four hemophiliacs who presented a distinct clinical syndrome identical to the lymphadenopathy syndrome in homosexuals which has been considered a prodrome to AIDS. Our results demonstrated that the AIDS related complex in hemophiliacs is characterized by recurrent herpes viral infections. Furthermore, the clinical and laboratory data in these patients suggest that this syndrome does not inexorably lead to AIDS, and may be a manifestation of a group of disorders in which AIDS represents one end of the spectrum.