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Mortality before and after HIV infection in the complete UK population of haemophiliacs

Abstract

DURING 1977-91, 6,278 males diagnosed with haemophilia were living in the UK. During 1979-86, 1,227 were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) as a result of transfusion therapy (median estimated seroconversion date, October 1982). Among 2,448 with severe haemophilia, the annual death rate was stable at 8 per 1,000 during 1977-84; during 1985-92 death rates remained at 8 per 1,000 among HIV-seronegative patients but rose steeply in seropositive patients, reaching 81 per 1,000 in 1991-92. Among 3,830 with mild or moderate haemophilia, the pattern was similar, with an initial death rate of 4 per 1,000 in 1977-84, rising to 85 per 1,000 in 1991-92 in seropositive patients. During 1985-92, there were 403 deaths in HIV seropositive patients, whereas 60 would have been predicted from rates in seronegatives, suggesting that 85% of the deaths in seropositive patients were due to HIV infection. Most of the excess deaths were certified as due to AIDS or to conditions recognized as being associated with AIDS.

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Author notes

  1. on behalf of the UK Haemophilia Centre Directors' Organisation. The investigators contributing to this study were M. Adelman, S. Al-lsmail, A. Aronstam, B. Attock, T. Baglin, 0. Baugh, J. Beard, J. Behrens, D. Bevan, P. Sevan, A. Black, A. Bloom, P. Bolton-Maggs, M. Boots, P. Cachia, C. Carter, J. Chandler, P. Chipping, M. Chisholm, H. Cohen, B. Colvin, J. Copplestone, C. Costello, E. Craven, H. Daley, A. Dawson, G. Dolan, J. Dudley, S. Fairham, B. Gibson, D. Gillett, D. Goff, D. Gorst, P. Gover, P. Green, H. Hambley, P. Hamilton, I. Hann, P. Harper, C. Hay, J. Hayes, F. Hill, M. Howard, D. Howes, R. Ibbotson, R. Janmohamed, P. Jones, M. Kenny, P. Kernoff, D. King, H. Korn, J. Kramer, A. Kruger, M. Laffan, A. Laurie, M. Layton, C. Lee, R. Lee, J. Leslie, J. Lilleyman, G. Lowe, C. Ludlam, S. Machin, P. Mackie, J. Maitland, W. Mavor, E. Mayne, S. Mayne, M. McEvoy, P. McHugh, B. McVerry, E. Miller, M. Mills, D. Mitchell, V. Mitchell, E. Moffat, B. Murphy, N. Mir, D. Newsome, H. O'Brien, M. O'Shea, D. Oscier, V. Oxley, L. Parapia, H. Parry, A. Patel, M. Phillips, C. Pollard, D. Prangnell, A. Prentice, E. Preston, C. Reid, C. Rist, J. Ross, G. Savidge, G. Scott, M. Semple, M. Shields, J. Shirley, C. Simpson, R. Stevens, R. Stockley, M. Strevens, C. Taylor, T. Taylor, J. Thomas, D. Thompson, E. Thompson, R. Vaughan Jones, I. Walker, N. West, J. Wilde, M. Winter & A. Worsley.

    • Charles R. Rizza
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Darby, S., Ewart, D., Giangrande, P. et al. Mortality before and after HIV infection in the complete UK population of haemophiliacs. Nature 377, 79–82 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/377079a0

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