Question
What does my CD4 percentage mean?
7 January 2017. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
Answer
Most information about how HIV affects your health comes from your CD4 count. This includes how HIV has damaged your immune system and how HIV treatment (ART) is making your immune system stronger.
The CD4 count is usually given as a number (usually between 1 to about 1600 cells/mm3).
This number is called the ‘absolute’ CD4 count.
However, many things affect this absolute number. These includes the time of the day, what you have eaten, if you have taken exercise, or if you have other infections. Each of these factors can affect your CD4 count but they are not related to immune system.
If your CD4 results are ever much higher or much lower than you expect, your doctor should look at your CD4 percentage (CD4%).
The CD4% can indicate whether this is a real change, or just a fluctuation. The CD4% is generally more stable.
The absolute CD4 count is still best at predicting risk of HIV progression.
The CD4% is the percentage of white blood cells that are CD4 cells. In an HIV negative adult the average CD4% is about 45%.(But this can range from 24% – 64%)
In adults, a CD4 percentage of 12-15% is considered similar to a CD4 count of 200 cells/mm3. A percentage of 15-20% is similar to an absolute count of 300 cells/mm3.
Babies and children with HIV are monitored using CD4%, because their absolute CD4 counts are much higher than adult counts, especially in the first few years.
CD4% may be an independent predictor of HIV disease progression, and a low CD4% should be considered as a factor in starting treatment, even when the absolute CD4 count is relatively ok.
This answer was updated in January 2017 from a question first posted on 8 October 2012.
Hi Zanoxolo,
I’m not sure about your comment. Is your girlfriend on HIV treatment (ART)?
My girlfriend is positive we have 2kind What Master I do
Hi Irene,
Are you on medication? If you are, you’re already doing the best thing possible.
Hi I’m HIV positive and my cd4 is under 100 what can i do to help with that??
Hi Malebo
What sort of test have you done?
Hi I need help. I tested positive on August and my cd4 count was 974 and took medication immediately now I took another test it’s negative what does this mean? I don’t want to make a mistake because I accepted my status
Hi Kuda,
Was/is your husband on medication?
My husband tested hiv I’m neg his cd4 is now750 frm 360 I don’t understand the whole issue
Hi KS,
If your HIV tests results are negative, this means that you don’t have HIV. Therefore, if you’re ill, you will need to see a doctor.
Hii dr i am 29 year old my protected exposure on oct 2015 and after six month i have all hiv symptoms like headache fever bodyache sore thorat white tongue lymph nodes weakness tiredness numbness urine infection bone pain rash itching alk over body yellowing skin weight loss 3 kg after 18 month my 04 elisa test one vdrl test and on western blot test comes negative and cbc ra factor tb test hla Tb test lft kft is also normal Cd 4 count absolute 836.88 ref 448 -1611
Cd 4 & is 42.47 ref 27-51
My hiv test negative but symptoms scare me sr pl tell me what my cd 4 test is okay or not what i do now pl help