Lab results

[xman]

I received today the new lab results and I'm a bit concerned even if my doctor is telling me that everything is OK. Well I have CD4 555 and 17%. Don't know the exact viral load but it should be in the low to moderate range. I'm not on meds. I know that with a percentage below 14% you are considered at AIDS stage even if your CD4 counts are in normal range.

Diagnosed in October 2008 with CD4 769 and 25%. VL was 15858.

Should I be concerned about the drop in the percentage?

[TheRoof]

My doctor did say that with 14%-15% (Something like that is an AIDS diagnosis) Though not sure if they diagnose you with AIDS if your Cd4 is still in the 500's.

Your VL shouldn't go to sky high numbers if it was around 16k. The % only tells part of the story. Thankfully your cd4 is good.

[Assurbanipal]

The US treatment guidelines suggest that a change in CD4% of more than 3% is significant.  Your tcell count remains well into the normal range though, so you appear to have plenty of time still before starting meds. 

But it might be a good time to start thinking about what medicines you would want to start on if you were to start in the relatively near future (i.e. in the next year as opposed to 5 or 10 years from now).
Your next test may be fine again and you won't need that knowledge before it becomes obsolete.  But it would not hurt to be prepared, just in case. 

Be well
A 

[BlueMoon]

I don't know what to think of CD4 percentage anymore.  My count has been above 300 only once since I  was diagnosed two year ago, but my percentage has never been below 20 and is currently at 46. 

I think the count is what's important, so probably only a low level of anxiety is warranted for you.

[tommy246]

xman i had your numbers for 11 months 500-600c4 and 16 -17 %,diagnosed 08 dec ,infected anytime from jan 06, however my doc wasnt to concerned about my %(even though he told me 14 % = 200cd4) as i had good cd4 but i got pnuemonia in august so started meds ,atripla 12 days ago best decision i made in a long time,i thought why wait another year to chance illness or getting to the real low limits its just harder to recover especially as you get older me now 49. ive had no side effects except slight dizziness first couple of nights . Have you seen todays news in europe reccomended to start earlier 350 to 500 cd4 as drugs are far better nowadays, im sure the usa will be following this path soon.

[xman]

Thanks a lot for the kind support. I'm more relaxed now. I have also the viral load now which is 18000. It's not high. I was surprised since my doc seems to not consider so much the percentage. He looks on the count and he told me that the decline is normal and that as long they stay above 350 cells treatment would not start.

[newt]

Your tcell count remains well into the normal range though, so you appear to have plenty  of time still before starting meds

CD4% of 12-15% usually equates to a count of around 200 cells/mm². This said, absolute CD count seems to equate to risk of opportunistic infections, which is important. Over 350 is protective.

This is a confusing situation and either way, starting or not, is viable.

- matt