CD4saurus Rex & HIVelociraptor vs. development of clinically useful immunological markers: a Jurassic tale of frozen evolution
2011
The Limitations of CD4 T Cell Counts in HIV Management
Commentary
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): De Maria Andrea, Cossarizza Andrea
Primary Institution: Università di Genova
Hypothesis
Are CD4 T cell counts sufficient for evaluating immune status in HIV patients?
Conclusion
CD4 T cell counts, while useful, have significant limitations and should be supplemented with additional immunological markers for better patient management.
Supporting Evidence
- CD4 T cell counts can sometimes be misleading, as patients with high counts can still develop opportunistic infections.
- Alternative immune parameters have not been validated in large trials despite their potential importance.
- Immunological discordance is observed in a significant percentage of patients on antiretroviral therapy.
Takeaway
Doctors often rely on CD4 T cell counts to check how well a person's immune system is doing with HIV, but this method isn't always accurate and can miss important details.
Limitations
The reliance on CD4 T cell counts can overlook other important immune factors and lead to mismanagement of HIV patients.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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