A chart of CD4s and Viral load
Important information about CD4 counts
- Normal CD4s range between 800 and 1200
- CD4s are the number of helpter T-lymphocytes in a patients blood, usually expressed as the number of cells per cubic millimeter. When this value drops below 200 with a OI (oppurtunistic infection), the patient has AIDS.
- CD4s can differ from day to day, time of day, different labs and technicians can make a difference, and many factors affect CD4s including stress as well as health issues.
Important Information about viral load
- Viral load is always best at its lowest but under 10,000 is considered good.
- Viral load is a group of tests that measure the amount of HIV in the blood. The two most commonly used viral load methods are PCR and bDNA.
- With the medications avaliable now viral loads can be taken to undetectable amounts
- Undetectable does not mean
My counts
- Date / CD4s / Viral load
- March 1998..........396.......... 3200
- Feb 1999..........227(lowest)..........3700(highest)
- ****STARTED MEDS/COMBIVIR & SUSTIVA*****
- April 1999...........329...........UNDETECTABLE(first)
- June 1999..........464..........Undetectable
- Sept 1999..........440...........Undetectable
- ****STARTED STUDY OF INTERLEUKIN 12****
- Oct 1999..........466...........Undetectable
- Oct 1999..........578...........Undetectable
- ****SPECIAL NOTE: time of day is a factor here most counts were done at 10 am...this one was done at 2 pm when cd4s are highest.****
- Nov 1999...........342...........Undetectable
- Feb 2000............436..........Undetectable
- Oct 2000.............547..........Undetectable
- **** SPECIAL NOTE: Still on Sustiva/combivir**********
- July 2001...........479..........Undetectable
- Oct 2002.............617.........Undetectable
