Immune Deficiency Syndrome in Children

TLDR

AIDS, first identified in homosexual men, intravenous drug users, Haitians, and hemophiliacs, is marked by profound cell‑mediated immunity defects linked to Kaposi's sarcoma and opportunistic infections, and recent observations have identified children with a similar unexplained immune deficiency syndrome. The authors report on eight children from high‑risk families in Newark, NJ, born into households with recognized AIDS risks. They examined these eight children for clinical features of AIDS, documenting their presentation and disease course. The children displayed recurrent fevers, failure to thrive, hypergammaglobulinemia, depressed cell‑mediated immunity, and four died, demonstrating that high‑risk households can transmit AIDS independent of sexual contact, drug abuse, or blood product exposure.

Abstract

The present epidemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was originally described in homosexual men and subsequently in intravenous drug abusers, Haitians, and hemophiliacs. Profound defects in cell-mediated immunity (CMI) are associated with Kaposi's sarcoma and a variety of serious opportunistic infections. Recently, we and others have encountered a group of children with an otherwise unexplained immune deficiency syndrome and infections of the type found in adults with AIDS. In this report, we describe eight children from the Newark, NJ, metropolitan area born into families with recognized risks for AIDS. These patients have had recurrent febrile illnesses, failure to thrive, hypergammaglobulinemia, and depressed CMI. Four of these children have died. Our experience suggests that children living in high-risk households are susceptible to AIDS and that sexual contact, drug abuse, or exposure to blood products is not necessary for disease transmission.