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 JYoti,
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%). So 33% is within this normal range.
Are you HIV positive? What meds are you taking?
What does cd4 count 33 percent mean ?
Hi Jaya,
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%). So 33% is within this normal range.
Are you HIV positive? What meds are you taking?
What does cd4 count 33 percent mean ?
Hi Tim, thanks for your comment and questions. How are you doing now? Although the whole experience sounds traumatic, you were lucky to be diagnosed at the hospital. You are also very lucky to have had such a strong response to treatment. Your CD4 count of 14 was a high risk of very serious events and to get back over 500 is really good.
Results from CD4, viral load and CD4% test can have a lot of variability though. Even though the CD4% is slightly lower than expected for a count of 500, this might become steadily higher over time.
I would need more details of your different combinations and viral load responses when they were changes to comment on current viral load. And also the time that this has taken. Sometimes, when starting with viral load above one million copies/mL it can just take longer to become undetectable (less than 50 copies/mL). Did you develop drug resistance to any of your previous combinations.
US guidelines still use a cut of of 200 copies/mL to define undetectable, because of variability at low levels. So being under 200 is technically undetectable by using this cut-off.
I am hiv positive and I found out after I woke up on life support in the icu… my viral load was in the millions for who knows how long and my cd4 was 14… my Question is why has my cd4 percentage always been around %13 and my cd4 absolute count is good around 500? Also I’ve never been undetectable after two years from leaving the hospital and on my 3rd change of antiviral meds… the lowest it’s been is 120
Hi Melinho,
This is common, a persons viral load should become undetectable within 1-3 months of treatment. This is excellent news as it means your HIV is under control.
Ok and my viral load is 18 from 15666 in one month a treatment drop down to 18 undetectable I’m confused
Hi Melinho.
A CD4 count of 616 is well within range for a normal CD4 count. Your CD4 count is good.
I have a cd4 count 616 and 30.8 % cd4 is this bad ?