POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: lydgate on June 01, 2007, 05:28:15 pm
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Hulloos to all.
Well, 21 months after seroconversion have passed. My lab results so far:
(1) February 2006 (six months after seroconverting): CD4 757, 38%, VL 70 copies.
(2) July 2006: CD4 917, 40%, VL 53 copies.
(3) December 2006: CD4 515, 38%, VL 500 copies.
(4) May 2007: CD4 725, 38%, VL 60 copies. CD8 499, 29%, CD4/CD8 ratio 1.45.
So things don't look too bad. Just thought I'd let all my friends here know.
Jay
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Hi Jay,
Great numbers man! Nice to see a post from you :) How are you doing?
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Jay
I'm glad your results are doing well.
Welcome back, hope you're going to stick around.
x
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Fantastic numbers. It looks like you are holding your own quite nicely! Congratulations!
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Thanks thirtysomething, carousel, Blixer. :) Jay
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Jay, Enjoy your summer and put this on the back burner!! Your steaming hot with good numbers... ;D
Hugs,
Eric
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Jay -
Great numbers! Celebrate your good health.
JP
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Well, it's been 33 months since seroconversion. Three more sets of labs:
(5) September 2007: CD4 834, 36%; VL 70 copies. CD8 649, 28%; ratio, 1.3.
(6) January 2008: CD4 589, 35%; VL 50 copies. CD8 496; ratio 1.2.
(7) May 2008: CD4 1,087, 42%; VL 200 copies. CD8 863, 33%; ratio 1.3.
Things still seem to be in a holding pattern (touch wood).
Jay
Edited to add: not on ARVs.
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Wow -- great numbers, Jay. Especially with no ARVs. Looks like you might end up being an LTNP with those kind of numbers.
Peter
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Thanks, Peter. Here's hoping.
The old (or is it still current?) definition of LTNP was at least seven years with normal counts; a common definition of common-law marriage is a union with cohabitation of seven years and a day. So I guess, if this holding pattern continues, I can call myself an LTNP in late-summer 2012. At any rate, on August 24, 2012, HIV and I can be considered a wedded couple, despite the absence of ceremonies secular or religious. :)
Jay
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Another set of labs, just about three years after I was infected:
Labs #8: August 2008: CD4 638, 35%; VL 100 copies. CD8 532, 29%. Ratio 1.2.
Jay
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healthy g bastard you :D big "kiss" - matt
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Great numbers Jay, nothing to sneeze about there. Congrats....
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*turns green with envy* :P
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Well, I gave all my numbers to Holdniy at TheBody (as I always do), and this is what I asked and this is what he said:
"My only question this time round is: the CD4% in these tests seems to move within a range of seven %age points (35 to 42) -- is that "normal" variability?
"Thanks!"
* * *
"That's quite a swing in CD4% and would be outside normal variability. But looking at your previous numbers, the May CD4% is well above all your others, as were your CD4 count and CD8 counts. I suspect your total white blood cell count and total lymphocyte count were also elevated to account for these increases."
Not concerned, but curious. Any thoughts?
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42 months (three-and-a-half years, but who's counting?) since seroconversion. Three more sets of labs:
(9) November 2008: CD4 683, 38%. CD8 629, 35%. Ratio 1.1. VL 294 copies.
(10) November 2008: CD4 619, 40%. CD8 495, 32%. Ratio 1.3. VL 174 copies.
(11) February 2009: CD4: 854, 42%. CD8 641, 32%. Ratio 1.3. VL undetectable (<48).
Not on meds.
Well, things still seem to be in a holding pattern. Touching all the wood around me (including my skull and, erm... :P )
Jay
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WOW! Things look great! Here's praying and hoping it all stays this way and you get to be an LTNP!
including my skull and, erm... )
pics??? ;)
Paul
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42 months (three-and-a-half years, but who's counting?) since seroconversion. Three more sets of labs:
(9) November 2008: CD4 683, 38%. CD8 629, 35%. Ratio 1.1. VL 294 copies.
(10) November 2008: CD4 619, 40%. CD8 495, 32%. Ratio 1.3. VL 174 copies.
(11) February 2009: CD4: 854, 42%. CD8 641, 32%. Ratio 1.3. VL undetectable (<48).
Not on meds.
Well, things still seem to be in a holding pattern. Touching all the wood around me (including my skull and, erm... :P )
Jay
Very impressive numbers. You might want to consider joining the HIV elite controller study. You met all the qualifications for viremic controllers in the past (<2000 VL) and now that you are undetectable without meds, you may even be an elite controller.
Are you doing anything special to get these numbers ? Diet and exercise wise ?
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Thanks Paul! As for pics... aren't certain things better left to the imagination? :)
Madbrain: I am in Bruce Walker's elite/viremic controller study (and I live in Boston now, making follow-up visits etc no problem at all). Also in the NIH/NIAID LTNP study.
But I'm not, strictly speaking, LTNP. There seem to be several competing definitions. Here's an abstract/poster from CROI 2009 that uses four definitions (and the timeframes involved are a minimum of eight or ten years):
http://www.retroconference.org/2009/Abstracts/34534.htm
As for diet and exercise: they've been pretty awful over the last few months! And enormous stress (work-related) and some heartbreak (romance-related). Crazy-bad insomnia. Trying to eat/live healthier now; gawd, let's hope the numbers don't start to plummet...
Jay
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Jay,
Madbrain: I am in Bruce Walker's elite/viremic controller study (and I live in Boston now, making follow-up visits etc no problem at all). Also in the NIH/NIAID LTNP study.
Great ! I'm only in the HIV controller study so far, as a viremic controller. I am in contact with Dr Emily Cutrell, but I think this might be the same study.
But I'm not, strictly speaking, LTNP. There seem to be several competing definitions. Here's an abstract/poster from CROI 2009 that uses four definitions (and the timeframes involved are a minimum of eight or ten years):
http://www.retroconference.org/2009/Abstracts/34534.htm
Yeah, I'm not LTNP either - only 27 months poz here, but the fact that we don't drop CD4s or have increasing VL is significant enough. Let's hope that continues !
As for diet and exercise: they've been pretty awful over the last few months! And enormous stress (work-related) and some heartbreak (romance-related). Crazy-bad insomnia. Trying to eat/live healthier now; gawd, let's hope the numbers don't start to plummet...
Jay
I hope it gets better for you.
Julien
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Hey Jay
Great to hear from you. I'm so glad that you continue to be well and medication free. .
Great news too that your in those studies. I go back to NIH in April and back to Boston in July.
All the best to you !
Paul
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Hey Jay, fantastic numbers for a virgin who can't drive! ;D
Hope your numbers keep on keepin' on.
Ann
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Eish, I am jaleaous but happy for you !
They do not talk about the CD4% is the link provided above (http://www.retroconference.org/2009/Abstracts/34534.htm)
So I allow me to dream that I could have become an XY controller with CD4 in the 700-850 range and a VL between 450-550 last year (despite it was higher in average the first year - average 2k with one peak at 17k).
Anyway, no regrets to have started HAART at CD4=550 (recovering from long trip + cold + gastro) and CD4%=18% and VL = 450 cause in reality I might just have been a slow progressor (but my counts were raising including the CD4%).
Eish, stop talk, I am not that lucky that you guy, and IMHO, it sucks ;D
But again, VERY happy that some can control and keep in respects the bugs
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well how boring is that damn normal immune system...you need to have more sex :) - matt
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Thanks Julien, Paul (perhaps we can meet in July?), Ann. Matt -- this is the one area of my life where I'm perfectly content to be boringly normal. :) But, yes, I do need to have more sex, le sigh. :( My golden age (ha!) of promiscuity is over: all of it feels like work now, not fun. Nevertheless: are you suggesting that more sex will/can lead to immunological decline? :o Explain, please.
Jay
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52 months since seroconversion; three more sets of labs:
(12) June 2009: CD4 501, 37%. CD8 488, 33%. VL 200 copies. Ratio 1.
(13) October 2009: CD4 614, 37%. CD8 562, 33%. VL 210 copies. Ratio 1.1
(14) February 2010: CD4 716, 37%, CD8 680, 35%. VL undetectable. Ratio 1.05.
Not on any ARVs.
So, sort of holding pattern still, after four-and-a-half-years. CD8s seem to be going up slightly, but CD4 %age remains pretty steady, and VL pretty low. Touching wood again...
Hulloos to all!
Jay
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If you can't drive and your numbers are that good, god knows what you'll be like when you pass your test!
:D
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Thanks, MarkB :)
Forgot to add: the last three tests were done using bDNA rather than RT-PCR technology. Any comments on assay variability, or adjustments (akin to Celsius and Fahrenheit conversions) I should take in account? Thanks for any thoughts, answers.
Jay
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Congrats on the great numbers!!
These posts got me to thinking. I'm wondering what you guys have learned about elite controllers? Since most people don't find out they are HIV+ until their immune systems are very bad, do we know how many people were probably considered elite controllers but didn't know it? I was infected in Aug 2001. 9 years later my CD4 is 811 and vl 27,000. Isn't it very possible many of us were probably elite controllers for many years, but just didn't know because we didn't even know we were poz?
Just curious if anyone has ever talked about that. I guess I'm wondering if researchers have factored in how most people don't know they are poz until some OI pops up? It seems everyone I've run into who is an elite controller tested soon after infection and has only been poz for up to 4 years. I haven't run into anyone who is still an elite controller 9 years later. Having said that, I know my "research" is limited to the people I meet on sites like these and talk to at the doc's office. Do you guys know elite controllers poz for more than 8 or 9 years?
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Hi Jay
That's great news ! Glad to hear you're still traveling well :D
Tednlou,
There are several 'elite controllers' here at the forums, also some 'viremic controllers'. I'm one of the former. I tested poz in 1985 though likely became infected in 1981. I've been blessed with a normal immune system. Like some others of us here at the Forums, I'm in several Controller studies including one in Boston by Bruce Walker and his group. Here's a link to that
www.hivcontrollers.org
You may qualify for that study. give them a call if you'd like to see if you're eligible. There's also a study at the NIH in Bethesda that you might qualify for
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/Volunteer/HIVandInfectious/HIVstudies/LTNP.htm
it studies ltnp's both elite controllers and viremic controllers.
please feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the studies.
Cheers,
Paul
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Hey Aidsmeds folk. My annual March visit and lab update... So, next four labs:
(15) June 2010: CD4 834, 37%. CD8 674, 30%. VL 834 copies. Ratio 1.23.
(16) August 2010: CD4 705, 38%. CD8 638, 35%. VL 90 copies. Ratio 1.10.
(17) November 2010: CD4 712, 35%. CD8 651, 32% VL 209 copies. Ratio 1.09.
(18) February 2011: CD4 677, 36%. CD8 583, 31% VL 358 copies, Ratio 1.16.
65 months since seroconversion. Not on ARVs.
So that's my annual report, so to speak. Hulloos, hugs, and health to all.
Jay
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Hey people. My annual labs update -- it's March after all -- below:
(19) June 2011: CD4 563, 34%. CD8 530, 32%. VL 2,083 copies. Ratio 1.06.
(20) September 2011: CD4 858, 39%. CD8 755, 35%. VL 1,176 copies. Ratio 1.09.
(21) December 2011: CD4 819, 38%. CD8 755, 35%. VL 2,284 copies. Ratio 1.09.
(22) March 2012: CD4 904, 38%. CD8 785, 33%. VL 151 copies. Ratio 1.15.
So... That's the annual report. Still in a holding pattern, nearly seven years later. Not on any ARVs. (Interesting changes, couple of days ago, to the DHHS recommendations for treatment, eh?) Hulloos, hugs, and health to all.
Jay
Jay