Screening for Risk of Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome

To the Editor: Acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disorder that has recently been noted among homosexual men, Haitians, and persons with hemophilia. 1 2 3 It is characterized by unusual malignant conditions, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Burkitt's lymphoma, as well as by increased frequency and severity of opportunistic infections that require a cell-mediated immune response. The immunologic defects include altered ratios of certain T-cell subsets, with diminished numbers of helper-inducer T cells and apparently normal numbers of suppressor-cytotoxic T cells in the peripheral blood. 4 , 5 These phenotypic abnormalities have been recognized largely by monoclonal antibodies that detect certain cell-surface . . . No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.