Acquired immunodeficiency with reversed T4/T8 ratios in infants born to promiscuous and drug-addicted mothers
A. Rubinstein, M. Sicklick, A. Gupta, L. Bernstein, N. Klein, E. Rubinstein, I. Spigland, L. Fruchter, N. Litman, H. Lee and M. Hollander
A new syndrome of acquired immunodeficiency has been identified in seven
children who were small for gestational age at birth and subsequently have
exhibited failure to thrive, lymphadenopathy, parotitis,
hepatosplenomegaly, interstitial pneumonia, and recurrent infections. All
have a profound cell-mediated immunodeficiency with reversed T4/T8 ratios.
Six are hypergammaglobulinemic and one has low IgG levels. The mothers of
five of the seven children are sexually promiscuous and/or drug addicts.
Three mothers have an immunodeficiency similar to that found in their
infants. One of them died at age 33 years with a diagnosis of acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome. In five of the children and in three of their
mothers, there is evidence of a persistent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
infection. We speculate that a perinatal or in utero transmission of EBV
can induce an "infectious immunodeficiency." The clinical, histopathologic,
and immunologic features resemble those described in adult homosexuals and
drug addicts.
