Question
Why is my CD4% so low?
27 July 2012. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
My last four CD4/CD4 percentage blood tests have ranged from a CD4 count between145 – 226 (they always fluctuate) with a percentage ranging between 19 – 26%
Today I rang for my June CD4/percentage results and I was told that my CD4 count was 225 and the CD4 percentage was a shockingly 6%.
This doesn’t make any sense to me as my previous bloods in February were CD4 count 145 and CD4 percentage 26%
When I asked the (very unhelpful) so called ‘health advisor’ why the percentage was so low (6%) he reluctantly replied with “I don’t know, as far as I know we only look at the CD4 count”.
So why at my previous CD4 count of 145 was it higher at 26%
I find many ‘Health advisors’ that I have dealt with unable to answer basic questions like this.
Answer
Hello,
Thank-you for your question. It’s not surprising you are confused as these results are very unusual. Although fluctuations in the CD4 count are very normal it is unusual to see a big fluctuation in the CD4 percentage. This is something you need to speak to your HIV doctor about as if these results are accurate this could be a sign of an underlying health condition.
Usually CD4 percentages are only referred to if there is an unexpected drop in the absolute CD4 count. Your CD4 count seems to be relatively stable and so it is strange that your CD4 percentage would have dropped this far while your CD4 count has risen.
This may be a lab error, or an error in interpreting your results, but it is important to check this. A CD4 % of 6% is very low and would be a case for concern if it is correct. You can follow this link for more information about Interpreting CD4 results: CD4 count and CD4 percentage.
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