RELATIONSHIP OF CIRCULATING CD4-LYMPHOCYTES AND P24 ANTIGENEMIA TO THE RISK OF DEVELOPING AIDS IN HIV-INFECTED SUBJECTS WITH ORAL HAIRY LEUKOPLAKIA( T)

To investigate the relationship of circulating CD4+ T-lymphocytes and p24 antigenemia to the development of AIDS in HIV-infected subjects wi th hairy leukoplakia (HL), we have followed over eight years 173 HIV-p ositive patients, all asymptomatic at the start of the study, and comp ared those who developed HL (n=55) to those who did not (n=118). Both groups included injection drug users (IDUs), homosexual men, and hemop hiliacs. At the time of their first visit, both HL+ and HL- patients h ad a normal value of CD4+ cells and a low frequency of p24 antigenemia . During the years of follow-up, patients in the HL+ group showed a gr eater reduction in CD4+ cells, a significant increase in p24 antigenem ia, and a higher rate of progression to AIDS. Our study demonstrates t hat in HIV-positive patients, HL is associated with more compromised i mmunological parameters and a higher viral replication and that its ap pearance has a negative prognostic value in relation to AIDS progressi on. (C) Munksgaard, 1996.