Question
Undetectable viral load and not on treatment…
11 April 2006. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I was infected with HIV around 9 months ago and have known for about 5 months now.
Since my diagnosis I had two sets of blood counts done the first set was CD4 1455 and viral load undetectable then a few weeks ago I tested again and got the results CD4 1454 and viral load undetectable again.
I have no doubt I am definitely HIV+ because I’ve tested positive on three separate occasions now. I was hoping to find more information as to why I might have had such a good initial response.
Where could I get more information?
Thanks for your help
Answer
About 5% of people with HIV progress to AIDS very quickly – their viral load remains very high after they are infected and their CD4 count drops to under 200 in the first 1-2 years. These people are fast progessors. Most people take 5-10 years for this to happen.
Another 5% people, perhaps a bit less, maintain a normal CD4 count and often have undetectable or very low viral load for many years – sometimes for 15-20 years. The terms for this is Long-Term Non Progressor (LTNP) or, probably more accurately, Long-Term Slow Progressors.
There is a large variability between people, and you may be lucky and have an immune response that is strong to the virus. It is too early to know how long this will continue, but a low viral load is a good sign that you may be lucky here.
The reason for different progression rates is related more to genetic factors and your immune system than to the type of HIV that you were infected with.
One gene that slows progression is if you have one deletion (change) in delta-32 region of your CCR5 receptor gene. People with two deletions are protected from infection from most types of HIV, and people with one have slower progression.
Unfortunately, these genetic tests are only available as research tools at the moment, and your clinic is unlikely to be able to get them for you. In practical terms, monitoring your CD4 count and viral load every 3-4 months as you are doing already, is the best approach.
We reported recent research into other genetic factors last year in the July issue of HTB.
For more information, especially less technical information, try searching the Internet for ‘Long-Term Non Progressor’ or ‘LTNP’ and ‘HIV’.
Hi Talatu,
A low viral load means your HIV drugs are working well. Viral load is the amount of HIV in a small amount of blood. If the test result is below 50 copies/mL it’s undetectable and that gives your CD4 count the chance to recover. Your CD4 count tells you how well your immune system is working. So a high CD4 count is good.
Here’s a link to ART in Pictures that shows what happens to viral load and CD4 count after you start HIV treatment (called ART).
11yrs on drug but d viral load is low.what can I do.