CD4/CD8 Enumeration and Viral Load Testing

General

Synonym/Acronym:
T-cell profile, cell surface immunotyping.

Rationale
To monitor myeloproliferative diseases, immunodeficiency conditions, and HIV disease progression including the effectiveness of retroviral therapy.

Patient Preparation
There are no food, fluid, activity, or medication restrictions unless by medical direction.

Normal Findings
(Method: Flow cytometry) Results are not interchangeable from method to method. Therefore, it is important to use the same method for serial testing.

Mature T Cells (CD3)Helper T Cells (CD4)Suppressor T Cells (CD8)
Absolute (cells/microL)Absolute (cells/microL)Absolute (cells/microL)
Adult527–2,846332–1,642170–811
CD4 cell counts are used for categorizing HIV infections, decision levels for initiating antiviral therapy, and to monitor efficacy of antiviral therapy.

Critical Findings and Potential Interventions
N/A

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.