Zidovudine treatment for anti-HIV positive haemophiliacs

Abstract

Summary. Twenty haemophiliacs (17 CDC group IV and 3 CDC group II) were treated with zidovudine for a median of 37 weeks (range 10–66). Eight (40%) tolerated zidovudine without a dose change. Two patients died and five patients (29%) developed opportunist infections. Haematological toxicity occurred in ten CDC IV patients (59%) but only one case of sepsis occurred in 101 episodes of documented granulocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia responded to treatment with zidovudine in four of five patients. It is concluded that zidovudine is beneficial for symptomatic haemophiliacs and although the haematological toxicity is high, it is mostly asymptomatic, reversible and well tolerated. Two of the three CDC II patients treated with zidovudine progressed to CDC IV, but had low initial T4 lymphocyte counts and were P24 antigen positive.