Q and A

Question

Does my CD4 count mean I was infected recently?

I’m 44, male, and I have been tested positive end of December 2011. I think I got infected between October and November 2011.My first screening was at the end of January (week 10 from supposed time of infection). My results showed CD4 421 and viral load 3.7 logs.

I was a little disappointed about CD4 results since the infection is recent and I was expecting a higher CD4 count while viral load looks to me lower than expected.

I saw a few charts that show CD4 going down a lot after conversion and going up a bit after that time so I hope next screening will show higher CD4 count

Now I have a big doubt on my mind. Do you think according to my January value it makes sense to consider this as a recent infection?

Thank you for your answer.

I found this website recently and I found it great !!

Answer

I’m sorry that you were disappointed by your test results. However, one test result is not necessarily very helpful- it’s more important to see how your results change over time.

In the meantime a CD4 of 421 is higher than the recommended 350 level for starting treatment in UK BHIVA guidelines. This suggests that your immune system is still strong.

It is not possible to find out when somebody was infected with HIV. Because of the wide range of variation, single CD4 counts and viral load results are not reliable ways to do this. This is because a ‘normal’ CD4 count is different for everybody – with or without HIV. The ‘normal’ range for CD4 counts without HIV is between 400-1600. Depending on where you were on this range before you were infected would suggest a very different interpretation of your CD4 reading at 421.

The rate at which CD4 counts drop is also different for each person, and this makes it even harder to use CD4 counts to estimate date of infection. The average rate that CD4 counts fall is about 50 cells every year. In some people CD4 counts will fall much faster and in some people much slower see this link for more information on how CD4 counts fluctuate.

A test called STARHS (or RITA) can indicate whether you are likely to have been infected within the last 6 months. This is recommended for all new diagnoses in the UK but I’m not sure if they are available in Italy – you might want to ask your doctor if you are interested about this. For more information about these tests you can look at this link.

2 comments

  1. Simon Collins

    No. The only way to reduce viral load and increase your CD4 count is to use HIV medication.

  2. Sai

    Can virigin coconut oil and neem leaves reduce the hiv viral load?

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