POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: odyssey on March 27, 2009, 01:33:04 pm
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Okay, so I got my second CD4/VL result back, and I'm a bit befuddled by the result. I mean, I understand the results themselves, but I could use a bit of help understanding why they changed the way they did.
3/23 1/20
CD4 462 23% 425 22%
VL 69,461 32,415
So, this is why I'm confused. My VL went up a fair bit, but so did my CD4! I have been kinda sick. I had a brutal oral hsv outbreak that cleared up before my most recent test, but I'm pretty sure I was getting a cold/sinus infection on the day of my recent test. Could this affect anything? I'm just really confused. I don't get how both numbers could increase, I thought if my VL went up like that, my CD4 would probably have gone down, or remained fairly stable, not gone up like that. Could someone please help me understand? Thanks!
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First of all, cd4 absolute numbers can easily fluctuate from one test to another +/-100, so in light of this fact your immune system is relatively stable.
In terms of your viral load number it changed by less than one log. I don't think I'd interpret these two sets of lab numbers as wildly different.
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my CD4 has plummeted over the last 3 blood readings yet my CD4% has actually gone up i was informed to never take into account the CD4 as CD4% is the most accurate
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my CD4 has plummeted over the last 3 blood readings yet my CD4% has actually gone up i was informed to never take into account the CD4 as CD4% is the most accurate
I wouldn't say "never".
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You really need to look at both, plus other things, like what's happening in the rest of your white blood cells and red blood cells, to make a judgement.
The simplest and most reliable measure of risk of illness is CD4 count as measured over time, like 3-4 tests. 1 test is no good. If my CD4 was falling over 3-4 tests, I wouldn't give a shit what my % was, if the count was under 250 I'd want PCP prevention meds and if it was under 350 I'd be thinking about combo.
See:
Research forum: CD4 count not CD4 % to guide treatment decisions say some Italians (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=14711.0)
- matt (who knows complex but likes simple) the newt
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Thanks for the info. Time is a concept I've always had a hard time with, so I guess its just bizarre in my mind to have a condition the changes over a period of years as opposed to days or weeks. Its a bit challenging to wrap my mind around the whole thing and "wait" for a pattern of test results to "develop". I really appreciate the feedback though. Its good to know this isn't a bizarre occurence. You guys and gals really are helpful! :D