Tendency to serious sequelae of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus in sibships with hemophilia

Cofactors for the clinical expression of infection due to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are not well understood. We asked if there was a familial tendency to the development of complications of HIV infection. We examined 35 hemophilic sibships in which at least two brothers with classic hemophilia (factor VIII deficiency) were infected with HIV. Twenty-four (34%) of the 70 patients had serious sequelae of infection, and 46 (66%) were asymptomatic or had only lymph node enlargement. Using Fisher's exact test, we found the concordance among siblings for serious sequelae of HIV infection was greater than would be expected by chance. When analysis was restricted to include only siblings known to be infected for more than two years, this concordance was still present. In the study population, birth order and mean yearly usage of factor VIII concentrate were unrelated to the outcome of HIV infection. The data indicate a familial tendency to serious complications of HIV infection. The factor(s) responsible for this familial tendency are currently under investigation.