What does the CD4 cell count mean?
This is the cell that becomes infected with HIV, it is also the quarterback of the immune system, and the count is a barometer of immunosuppression. Normal is >500/mm3; a count of <200/mm3 is the definition of AIDS. • What does the viral load mean? This indicates the amount of HIV in the blood. The average is about 30,000 copies per ml (c/ml), but again there is a great deal of individual variation. When it is high, the CD4 cell count tends to decline rapidly (negative CD4 slope). The goal of therapy is to reduce the viral load to undetectable levels, and with this the CD4 cell count usually increases 100-150 cells/mm3 each year. • Therapy. Potent antiretroviral therapy (ART, also called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART) has revolutionized the course of this disease. Although a miraculous development, HAART is also terribly demanding for the patient in terms of adherence, and some patients have big problems with side effects that are either short-term (eg, nausea, rash, a
