Re: Understanding Blood-work

[Guest guest]

Hi Colin, Go to AIDSmeds.com, click on "lessons" and "understanding your labs" Here's a link. All portions of the CBC shows up, click on them, and it explains what each one does in detail. http://aidsmeds.com/lessons/CBCTest.htm Hope this helps. It's just easier to read it and eventually you'll understand it. colin <irishcolum@...> wrote:http://aidsmeds.com/lessons/CBCTest.htm I've been recently looking more

closely at my lab report and I'm ashamed to say I don't have a clue what I'm looking at except that my CD4 count is good and that my viral load is undetectable. Can any of you smart guys and gals on this list give me a basic orientation ? I'm just trying to get a better understanding so that when I talk with my doctor I can speak with a little more authority. Anyway the report says the following:Absolute CD3 1296Absolute CD4 582Abs CD8 Suppressor 685% CD 3 Pos Lymph 81.0% CD 4 Pos Lymph 36.4% CD 8 Pos Lymph 42.8 (high)CD4/CD8 ratio .85 (Low)It also states <50 Copies/mL HIV-1 RNA Ultra.I know it's good in that my CD4 count is 582 and my viral load is "undetectable". It has been in this region for afew years. But what do the other numbers mean? Particularly the %CD numbers and the CD4/CD8 ratio. It notes that my % CD8 is high and my CD4/CD8 ratio is low. Should I be concerned ? My doctor only

ever talks about CD4 and viral load numbers.Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me.

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[Guest guest]

Hi Colin, Go to AIDSmeds.com, click on "lessons" and "understanding your labs" Here's a link. All portions of the CBC shows up, click on them, and it explains what each one does in detail. http://aidsmeds.com/lessons/CBCTest.htm Hope this helps. It's just easier to read it and eventually you'll understand it. colin <irishcolum@...> wrote:http://aidsmeds.com/lessons/CBCTest.htm I've been recently looking more

closely at my lab report and I'm ashamed to say I don't have a clue what I'm looking at except that my CD4 count is good and that my viral load is undetectable. Can any of you smart guys and gals on this list give me a basic orientation ? I'm just trying to get a better understanding so that when I talk with my doctor I can speak with a little more authority. Anyway the report says the following:Absolute CD3 1296Absolute CD4 582Abs CD8 Suppressor 685% CD 3 Pos Lymph 81.0% CD 4 Pos Lymph 36.4% CD 8 Pos Lymph 42.8 (high)CD4/CD8 ratio .85 (Low)It also states <50 Copies/mL HIV-1 RNA Ultra.I know it's good in that my CD4 count is 582 and my viral load is "undetectable". It has been in this region for afew years. But what do the other numbers mean? Particularly the %CD numbers and the CD4/CD8 ratio. It notes that my % CD8 is high and my CD4/CD8 ratio is low. Should I be concerned ? My doctor only

ever talks about CD4 and viral load numbers.Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me.

SEIZE THE DAY! ENJOY TODAY, SMELL THE ROSES AND HUG YOURSELF

Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check.Try the Beta.

[Guest guest]

At 08:33 PM 1/16/2007, you wrote:

>I've been recently looking more closely at my lab report and I'm ashamed

>to say I don't have a

>clue what I'm looking at except that my CD4 count is good and that my

>viral load is

>undetectable.

This is all good news! One trick with looking at bloodwork is to A) GET A

COPY and keep it and examine it for any numbers that are out of the

laboratory reference range. Too little of this, too much of that? Then you

can ask your doctor about it and/or seek more information about what the

relevance might be to your life. Too often physicians rely on CD4 number

and viral load and forget the rest. This can be a major mistake.

As to your other questions, here's a good review:

http://www.aidsmeds.com/lessons/TCellTest.htm

Also, as an aside, this was interesting:

http://www.aegis.com/pubs/aidswkly/2005/AW050802.html

Many feel that the CD4 percentage is actually a more important figure to

consider than the absolute number.

M.

[Guest guest]

At 08:33 PM 1/16/2007, you wrote:

>I've been recently looking more closely at my lab report and I'm ashamed

>to say I don't have a

>clue what I'm looking at except that my CD4 count is good and that my

>viral load is

>undetectable.

This is all good news! One trick with looking at bloodwork is to A) GET A

COPY and keep it and examine it for any numbers that are out of the

laboratory reference range. Too little of this, too much of that? Then you

can ask your doctor about it and/or seek more information about what the

relevance might be to your life. Too often physicians rely on CD4 number

and viral load and forget the rest. This can be a major mistake.

As to your other questions, here's a good review:

http://www.aidsmeds.com/lessons/TCellTest.htm

Also, as an aside, this was interesting:

http://www.aegis.com/pubs/aidswkly/2005/AW050802.html

Many feel that the CD4 percentage is actually a more important figure to

consider than the absolute number.

M.

[Guest guest]

You can check out our fact sheet at

http://www.aidsinfonet.org/factsheet_detail.php?fsnumber=124

Best.

Bob Munk

Coordinator

AIDS InfoNet

Understanding Blood-work

I've been recently looking more closely at my lab report and I'm ashamed to

say I don't have a

clue what I'm looking at except that my CD4 count is good and that my viral

load is

undetectable. Can any of you smart guys and gals on this list give me a

basic orientation ? I'm

just trying to get a better understanding so that when I talk with my doctor

I can speak with a

little more authority. Anyway the report says the following:

Absolute CD3 1296

Absolute CD4 582

Abs CD8 Suppressor 685

% CD 3 Pos Lymph 81.0

% CD 4 Pos Lymph 36.4

% CD 8 Pos Lymph 42.8 (high)

CD4/CD8 ratio .85 (Low)

It also states <50 Copies/mL HIV-1 RNA Ultra.

I know it's good in that my CD4 count is 582 and my viral load is

" undetectable " . It has been

in this region for afew years. But what do the other numbers mean?

Particularly the %CD

numbers and the CD4/CD8 ratio. It notes that my % CD8 is high and my

CD4/CD8 ratio is

low. Should I be concerned ? My doctor only ever talks about CD4 and viral

load numbers.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me.

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Vergel (PoWeRTX@...)

List Founder and Moderator

[Guest guest]

You can check out our fact sheet at

http://www.aidsinfonet.org/factsheet_detail.php?fsnumber=124

Best.

Bob Munk

Coordinator

AIDS InfoNet

Understanding Blood-work

I've been recently looking more closely at my lab report and I'm ashamed to

say I don't have a

clue what I'm looking at except that my CD4 count is good and that my viral

load is

undetectable. Can any of you smart guys and gals on this list give me a

basic orientation ? I'm

just trying to get a better understanding so that when I talk with my doctor

I can speak with a

little more authority. Anyway the report says the following:

Absolute CD3 1296

Absolute CD4 582

Abs CD8 Suppressor 685

% CD 3 Pos Lymph 81.0

% CD 4 Pos Lymph 36.4

% CD 8 Pos Lymph 42.8 (high)

CD4/CD8 ratio .85 (Low)

It also states <50 Copies/mL HIV-1 RNA Ultra.

I know it's good in that my CD4 count is 582 and my viral load is

" undetectable " . It has been

in this region for afew years. But what do the other numbers mean?

Particularly the %CD

numbers and the CD4/CD8 ratio. It notes that my % CD8 is high and my

CD4/CD8 ratio is

low. Should I be concerned ? My doctor only ever talks about CD4 and viral

load numbers.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me.

Welcome to our group!

If you received this email from someone who forwarded it to you and would

like to join this group, send a blank email to

-subscribe and you will get an email with

instructions to follow. You can chose to receive single emails or a daily

digest (collection of emails). You can post pictures, images, attach files

and search by keyword old postings in the group.

For those of you who are members already and want to switch from single

emails to digest or vice versa, visit www., click on

, then on " edit my membership " and go down to your selection. The

list administrator does not process any requests, so this is a

do-it-yourself easy process !

Thanks for joining. You will learn and share a lot in this group!

NOTE: I moderate, approve or disapprove emails before they are posted.

Please follow the guidelines shown in the homepage. I will not allow

rudeness, sexually explicit material, attacks, and anyone who does not

follow the rules. If you are not OK with this, please do not join the group.

Forward this email to anyone who may benefit from this information! Thanks!

In Health,

Vergel (PoWeRTX@...)

List Founder and Moderator

[Guest guest]

Compare your 36.4% T4 percentage "% CD 4 Pos Lymph 36.4" with these following large group averages published in 1990 of people not using antviral drugs.

42% Normal HIV negative

26% "Asymptomatic" HIV+

16.8% "ARC" HIV+

12.5% and below "AIDS" HIV+

Do what you need to do to keep your T4 percentage above 30%. There are significant functional changes which occur around that level and further functional declines which occur around 18%.

Your CD4/CD8 ratio is slightly low because shortly after infection with HIV the immune system responds by making more T8 cells which effective at controlling HIV, at least initally. This will often come at the expense of T4 cell production, resulting in your slightly low T4 count.

In later years, untreated HIV+ people see their T4/T8 ratio decline below .50 and their T4 count and percentage decline further. In these later stages, the decline in T4 percentage and count is independent of T8 count becoming a generalized decline rather than a shift from T4 to T8.

Although you don't list them, with these numbers your Lymph percentage, Lymph count, and White Cell count are almost certainly within normal range.

>> I've been recently looking more closely at my lab report and I'm ashamed to say I don't have a > clue what I'm looking at except that my CD4 count is good and that my viral load is > undetectable. Can any of you smart guys and gals on this list give me a basic orientation ? I'm > just trying to get a better understanding so that when I talk with my doctor I can speak with a > little more authority. Anyway the report says the following:> > Absolute CD3 1296> Absolute CD4 582> Abs CD8 Suppressor 685> % CD 3 Pos Lymph 81.0> % CD 4 Pos Lymph 36.4> % CD 8 Pos Lymph 42.8 (high)> CD4/CD8 ratio .85 (Low)> > It also states <50 Copies/mL HIV-1 RNA Ultra.> > I know it's good in that my CD4 count is 582 and my viral load is "undetectable". It has been > in this region for afew years. But what do the other numbers mean? Particularly the %CD > numbers and the CD4/CD8 ratio. It notes that my % CD8 is high and my CD4/CD8 ratio is > low. Should I be concerned ? My doctor only ever talks about CD4 and viral load numbers.> Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me.>

[Guest guest]

Compare your 36.4% T4 percentage "% CD 4 Pos Lymph 36.4" with these following large group averages published in 1990 of people not using antviral drugs.

42% Normal HIV negative

26% "Asymptomatic" HIV+

16.8% "ARC" HIV+

12.5% and below "AIDS" HIV+

Do what you need to do to keep your T4 percentage above 30%. There are significant functional changes which occur around that level and further functional declines which occur around 18%.

Your CD4/CD8 ratio is slightly low because shortly after infection with HIV the immune system responds by making more T8 cells which effective at controlling HIV, at least initally. This will often come at the expense of T4 cell production, resulting in your slightly low T4 count.

In later years, untreated HIV+ people see their T4/T8 ratio decline below .50 and their T4 count and percentage decline further. In these later stages, the decline in T4 percentage and count is independent of T8 count becoming a generalized decline rather than a shift from T4 to T8.

Although you don't list them, with these numbers your Lymph percentage, Lymph count, and White Cell count are almost certainly within normal range.

>> I've been recently looking more closely at my lab report and I'm ashamed to say I don't have a > clue what I'm looking at except that my CD4 count is good and that my viral load is > undetectable. Can any of you smart guys and gals on this list give me a basic orientation ? I'm > just trying to get a better understanding so that when I talk with my doctor I can speak with a > little more authority. Anyway the report says the following:> > Absolute CD3 1296> Absolute CD4 582> Abs CD8 Suppressor 685> % CD 3 Pos Lymph 81.0> % CD 4 Pos Lymph 36.4> % CD 8 Pos Lymph 42.8 (high)> CD4/CD8 ratio .85 (Low)> > It also states <50 Copies/mL HIV-1 RNA Ultra.> > I know it's good in that my CD4 count is 582 and my viral load is "undetectable". It has been > in this region for afew years. But what do the other numbers mean? Particularly the %CD > numbers and the CD4/CD8 ratio. It notes that my % CD8 is high and my CD4/CD8 ratio is > low. Should I be concerned ? My doctor only ever talks about CD4 and viral load numbers.> Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me.>

[Guest guest]

http://www.thebody.com/tpan/fall06/inspection.html

You are going to get quite a few responses to your query! And

you can’t be too well informed. Once you get more info under your belt,

you can keep your doctor on his toes too.

The link above came from The Body and they have quite a few

archive articles to help you also.

Aloha!

Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most. Somewhere along

the line I forgot that happiness is a method of travel and not a destination.

[Guest guest]

http://www.thebody.com/tpan/fall06/inspection.html

You are going to get quite a few responses to your query! And

you can’t be too well informed. Once you get more info under your belt,

you can keep your doctor on his toes too.

The link above came from The Body and they have quite a few

archive articles to help you also.

Aloha!

Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most. Somewhere along

the line I forgot that happiness is a method of travel and not a destination.

[Guest guest]

You're right, ! My doc has been looking at my RBC count, hemoglobin

and white cell count lately b/c he is concerned about anemia. Numbers were

getting dangerously low. If he had been looking only at CD4 and VL counts,

he wouldn't have known the problem existed, nor would he have know to switch

one of my meds. And, big thing is, if you don't understand or are missing

results for things, then ask.

I take my PDA with me and record the results as he points out areas of

concern. I am very blessed to have a doctor who has a holistic

(comprehensive) approach. And thanks for that link to AIDSmeds.

Lowery

[Guest guest]

You're right, ! My doc has been looking at my RBC count, hemoglobin

and white cell count lately b/c he is concerned about anemia. Numbers were

getting dangerously low. If he had been looking only at CD4 and VL counts,

he wouldn't have known the problem existed, nor would he have know to switch

one of my meds. And, big thing is, if you don't understand or are missing

results for things, then ask.

I take my PDA with me and record the results as he points out areas of

concern. I am very blessed to have a doctor who has a holistic

(comprehensive) approach. And thanks for that link to AIDSmeds.

Lowery