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.
WHERE CAN I GET ARTs? As she was given the ARVs and she only ate once and stop until she get her CD4 count which is 382 and after we had sex without condom, what will be the results? Must she continue with ARVs..
Hi Leonard,
Yes, ART can reduce HIV to such tiny levels in your blood that it can stop HIV damaging your immune system.
Here’s a page from ART in Pictures that shows what happens to HIV and your immune system (CD4 count) when you start ART.
Having an undetectable viral load on ART can reduce HIV transmission to zero. Please see Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).
Does ART stops HIV?
Hi Leonard,
I’m sorry to hear about your partner’s diagnosis. If you’ve just found out you’re HIV postive it can be a shock.
However, treatment for HIV (ART) is now safe and effective. And starting ART sooner rather than later can benefit overall health and reduce the risk of getting other infections.
Is your partner able to access ART? Please let us know what the doctor says and tell us what treatment is available to her.
Here’s the Introduction ART for much more info.
My parter tested positive and i tested negetive, she went to check CD4 and is 386, is she in a risk?
Hi Fabri,
Fine thank you!
It looks like your HIV treatment (ART) is working well. It’s great that you were undetectable after just one month of ART.
However, although modern ART dramatically reduces viral load it the first days and weeks, your CD4 count recovers more slowly.
Please see this page from ART in Pictures. So, In contrast to viral load, CD4 usually increases more slowly and steadily. The biggest rise occurs during the first 6–12 months and this continues over the second year.
Reaching a CD4 count above 500 is referred to as normal, but even if it doesn’t reach this high, the risk of HIV-related complications is dramatically reduced.
Hello, how are you doing? :)
Could you please give me some thoughts on how my situation looks, sine my cd4 count has dropped a lot.
I’ve been taking dolutegravir + lamivudine + tenofovir for almost 2 years now. these were the numbers:
December 2019 – Viral Load: 17.000 (untreated) CD4: 211 (14,4%) and CD8: 812 (55,5%)
*I have started meds at this point (dolutegravir)
january 2018 – undetectable, CD4: 274 (15,5%) and CD8: 1068 (60,2%)
April 2018 – undetectable, CD4: 382 (17,5%) and CD8: 1141 (52,3%)
November 2018 – undetectable, CD4: 508 (16,9%) and CD8: 1519 (50,0%)
July 2019 – undetectable, CD4: 299 (20,0%) and CD8: 700 (46,8%)
August 2019 – undetectable, CD4: 286 (19,0%) and CD8: 690 (44,5%)
No other infections during this time.
Thank you so much!
Fabri
Hi Emre,
Do you have multiple sclerosis and are you HIV positive too?
What HIV meds are you taking? This website gives treatment information for people who are HIV postive.
Hi I have multiple sclerosis too from Turkey. Are you using an immunsupressive drug like a fingolimod ?
Hi Patricia,
Are you HIV positive? If you are, are you on treatment?