Leukopenia and anergy as predictors of AIDS.

To the Editor.— The Montefiore Rikers Island Health Services routinely examines the majority of the inmates incarcerated in New York City, a population that includes a large number of drug abusers. A history, physical examination, purified protein derivative implantation, and white blood cell (WBC) count were performed on more than 11,000 adults from March 1983 to January 1984 in one of our facilities. Report of a Study.— Inmates initially seen with a WBC count of less than 3,500/cu mm were evaluated for anergy status. Two hundred sixty-two inmates were leukopenic (WBC count