AIDS in a Hemophiliac Child Transmitted by Cryoprecipitate and with Negative HIV Antibodies by Western Blot

Abstract

We report a 3-year-old hemophiliac child who became infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from cryoprecipitate treatments and subsequently developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Though evidence of HIV infection was suggested by the presence of anti-HIV antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the Western blot assay was negative. A second confirmatory test for HIV antibodies, flow cytometric immunofluorescence assay (FIFA), was performed demonstrating specific anti-HIV antibodies. This patient with clinical and immunological manifestations of AIDS illustrated that the diagnosis should not be discounted because of the failure to demonstrate anti-HIV antibodies by the Western blot assay and also demonstrated the utility of the FIFA as a more sensitive confirmatory assay of specific anti-HIV antibodies.