Acquired immunodeficiency without evidence of HIV infection: national retrospective survey

Abstract

The term idiopathic CD4 T lymphocytopenia has been introduced to describe the syndrome of depletion of CD4 lymphocytes in people with no evidence of HIV infection or other explanation for immunodeficiency.1 We report a retrospective national survey to identify and characterise cases of unexplained CD4 lymphocytopenia in Australia. ### and results The National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research asked all specialists in clinical immunology and infectious diseases and other medical practitioners known to have an interest in immune disorders to provide information on any patient who had been diagnosed as immunodeficient on or after 1 January 1985 on the basis of a reduced CD4 lymphocyte count (no specific value was defined) or specific illnesses related to cell mediated immunodeficiency. The patients had to have had a negative result on serological testing for HIV-1 infection, and congenital conditions and immunosuppressive treatment had to have been excluded as causes of immunodeficiency. …