Starting meds cd4 v %

[tommy246]

I recently started meds 4weeks ago with cd4 591 and %15 ,vl 59.000 can someone help explain the difference in the cd4 and % numbers to me . Is the cd4 and % the same thing but measured differently. im confused and dont know if i have started meds early , late or about right . I have read 14% = 200 cd4 so 15% =214cd4 approx so have i started meds at 214 ,591 or somewhere in the middle, thanks for any help.
When diagnosed a year ago i was 505cd4 and 17% vl 1.500

[Ann]

CD4% is discussed in the CD4 Lesson

[tommy246]

Ok i read that and without wanting to sound thick can you confirm i have understood this correctly, cd4 is a type of lymphocyte(most important one) of which we have many types and the % is the amount of these type of lymphocytes that we have in our total amount of various lymphocytes. Thanks.

[tommy246]

anyone know this ?

[Inchlingblue]

This has some good info:

http://aids.about.com/od/aidsfactsheets/a/cd4percent.htm

[tommy246]

Thanks for that inchlingblue im even more confused lol, i am a bit thick i reckon but after reading that article i am surprised my doc waited 11 months to put me on meds as i was diagnosed with 505cd4 and only 17% lots of red apples but not many green. Just hope my % climbs up the scale.

[elf]

When your CD4 is higher than expected for your CD4%, or when you have low CD4 with high CD4%, you have a discordance between the absolute CD4 count and the CD4%.

That's what I have:

my numbers

09/2008  353 [14%] diagnosed, started therapy
10/2008  510 [16%]
12/2008  910 [16%]
02/2009 1100 [18%]
07/2009  900 [25%]


In my case CD4% is a better parameter of infection than absolute CD4.
According to American standards, my CD4%: 14 puts me in an AIDS patient category, but here in Europe they give the AIDS diagnosis only when a person has CD4<200 with or without an opportunistic infection.

I think you should have started your therapy right away like I did,
but I can understand sometimes doctors want at least one month between two check-ups so they can see dynamics.

When a person is not on meds, and CD4 is normal or borderline and CD4% is low (or lowish), CD4% is an indicator of rapid disease progression...It tells us what's in store.

My CD4% of 25.4% is still low. Due to low CD4% I failed the hepatitisB vaccination, there were 0 (zero) antibodies after 3 shots in 6 months. I will have to pray my CD4% is higher now so the re-vaccination can be effective.