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Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: 2tcells on January 21, 2014, 08:07:57 pm

Title: 6 month labs
Post by: 2tcells on January 21, 2014, 08:07:57 pm
So I been on meds for 6 months and got my 6 month labs. My cd4 is up to 62 from 54 2 months ago and vl is up to 43 from ud for the last 4 months. Kidney and liver are doing good. So are these results good or bad? My cd4 is going up less everytime since september and now vl is up alittle. I was sick a week or 2 before bloodwork was done. Been taking my meds ontime everytime. At this rate itwill be years if I every get above 200. Any input on these results?
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: buginme2 on January 21, 2014, 08:37:30 pm
Good News!  Your liver and kidney function is doing well after being on meds (thats actually some pretty good news not to be dismissed).

Also, you are still basically undetectable. 

Cd4 counts are frustrating.  I'm sure its frustrating only seeing an increase from 54 to 62.  However, dont get discouraged.  As time goes by and you remain ud your cd4 counts will gradually increase. 

So all in all..good
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: Fisher on January 21, 2014, 09:33:09 pm
2T

My VL when to 20 from <20. A bit disconcerting. But as mentioned, 43, essentially undetectable and likely UD again in the future. If there's a pattern of continued raising, something to deal with. But although it feels worry some, unlikely something to be worried about.
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: 2tcells on April 14, 2014, 03:13:06 pm
Just got my 9 month labs and im very happy with it, I was expecting it to be about 70 but my cd4 is now 110! And vl ud. My liver kidneys and white blood count is all normal. Everything was normal range except cd4, cd3 is 671, and cd8 normal so cd4 to cd8 ratio is off... besides that mcv and mch are alittle high anyone know what that is?
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: Jmarksto on April 14, 2014, 03:35:36 pm
2tcells -- I have no idea what mcv and mch are, but am very happy for you to have your other numbers improving. 

best,
JM
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: zach on April 14, 2014, 03:36:27 pm
you're doing great, keep at it!
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: zach on April 14, 2014, 03:39:43 pm
those are just two measurements of the volume of your red blood cells and hemoglobin, its a good thing, unless you drink like an alcoholic, then it may be a problem
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: Joe K on April 14, 2014, 04:16:04 pm
I think it helps to put your numbers in perspective, rather than just seeing a bunch of numbers that seem to have little correlation.  If your CD4s keep going up and your VL keeps going down (small blips don't count) this means that your immune system is not only successfully handling your infection (by reducing your VL), but that it is working so well, that it also has the ability to raise your CD4s at the same time.

Individual tests do not mean much, as we are looking for trends and as long as your trends are going in the right direction... what's not to like?

Sometimes, perspective is everything.

Joe
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: Bizkits on April 14, 2014, 04:44:38 pm
besides that mcv and mch are alittle high anyone know what that is?


MCH: Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin - indicates the average hemoglobin (oxygen carrying ability) content of one red blood cell

MCV: Mean Corpuscular Volume - indicates the average size of red blood cells (age, how big they get before they die (usual life span of a RBC is 120 days) ).

These tests are normally only useful when following Anemia, and classifying that.  It's part of a CBC but not many doctors pay attention to it. It can be indicitaive of chronic illness, inflammation and a few other things but there are many other tests which would more thoroughly answer those questions.

In a nut shell, don't pay too much attention to it, they're not huge numbers. 

Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: drewm on April 14, 2014, 06:31:00 pm
So I been on meds for 6 months and got my 6 month labs. My cd4 is up to 62 from 54 2 months ago and vl is up to 43 from ud for the last 4 months. Kidney and liver are doing good. So are these results good or bad? My cd4 is going up less everytime since september and now vl is up alittle. I was sick a week or 2 before bloodwork was done. Been taking my meds ontime everytime. At this rate itwill be years if I every get above 200. Any input on these results?

Those numbers look pretty good actually. Try not to get hung up on CD4. A true CD4 count is a frustrating number when it comes to this virus. My partner's CD4's are above 1,000, mine are around 300. He is sick more than I am. Your viral load is basically undetectable which is a continuous goal. As that VL stays beat down, your CD4's should continue to recover.

Everyone progresses and regresses differently but your numbers are good!
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: 2tcells on April 16, 2014, 02:52:23 pm
those are just two measurements of the volume of your red blood cells and hemoglobin, its a good thing, unless you drink like an alcoholic, then it may be a problem

well I do drink alot so hopefully it dosnt have to do with that. What might it mean for people who drink alot?
Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: eric48 on April 16, 2014, 03:05:33 pm
see:

Mean cell volume (MCV) changes in HIV-positive patients taking nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) is a surrogate marker for adherence.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12437894

If yours is going up (and you are taking HIV combo containing NRTI, which you are) is shows your doc how well you are sticking to you medication schedule

Therefore, nothing to worry about

Eric

Title: Re: 6 month labs
Post by: bocker3 on April 16, 2014, 10:35:43 pm
see:

Mean cell volume (MCV) changes in HIV-positive patients taking nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) is a surrogate marker for adherence.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12437894

If yours is going up (and you are taking HIV combo containing NRTI, which you are) is shows your doc how well you are sticking to you medication schedule



Eric

Rubbish -- your linking to a study from 2002 that speaks only of AZT and D4T - not all nukes.  If macrocytosis was indeed an indicator of nuke adherence, we'd probably have heard more about it. 

MCV, MCH, MCHC, in fact, most values from a CBC aside from WBC, RBC, HGB and PLT are only meaningful in certain situations and can vary widely.  Smokers tend to have increased MCV's and MCHC because, surprise surprise, the body might be making more hemoglobin to help increase oxygen carrying capacity due to decreased lung function.

In all my years working in a Hematology lab, a doctor never called and asked about a CBC value besides the four I mentioned - except for rare cases of hematological illnesses (and not that often even then).  And I performed, literally, tens of thousands of CBCs.

To the OP -- worry not about those values and even more importantly, don't focus on single values of tests from single draws.  Your doctor will act on values that need acting upon -- you can question him/her on things to help learn, but try not to worry.

Mike