Absence of seroconversion in a PCR-positive person 18 months after transfusion of HIV-infected blood.

The donor, a 25-year-old man was a regular blood donor who has been tested for HIV 1 antibodies and found to be negative till September 1987. Three months later, in December 1987, this donor had seroconverted. Much later, we heard that homosexual contacts, dated July 1987, were most probably at the origin of the HIV 1 contamination. In December 1987, no antigen could be detected in his serum by using the EIA neutralization test from Abbott. 7 months after contamination, in January 1988, the T4/T8 ratio of the donor's lymphocytes was as low as 0.28 with a total T4 cell count of 657c/mm 3 . Further investigation of the donor's immune function showed that lymphoblastic stimulation was lowered with PHA and PKW, whereas it was in the normal range with OKT3 as mitogen.