|Different TYPES of tests
Oct 15, 2006
Hi doctor, I have been HIV+ for about 2 and a half years - still very healthy and no meds yet. I have had two sets of tests last month (one in France and one in South Africa) - only because South Africa's tests have been the initial reference and now living in France, these are the new reference. Problem is, they are quite different ... April 2006 (France) - Lymphocytes T4 (assume this is CD4) = 428/mm2 (23%) ; Lymphocytes T8 = 763/mm2 (41%) ; charge de virale (test called Versant HIV RNA 3.0 bDNA) = 25961 copies/ml and Log de charge virale 4,41 log.
Then, Sept 2006 in Cape Town with reputable laboratory - CD4 = 458 and VL = 39000.
Then 10 days later back in Paris again, Lymphocytes T4 = 398/mm2 (21%) ; Lymphocytes T8 = 852/mm2 (45%) ; charge de virale (test called Cobas Taqman HIV) = 10495 copies/ml and Log de charge virale 4,02 log. They indicate that the test technique has been changed.
What is the significance of this ? Also what is Plaquettes (dropped from 164000 to 157000 and VPM from 10,2 to 10,4. Why all these different tests ??
| Response from Dr. Holodniy
Although those 3 sets of tests look like things are bouncing all over the place, they are within the variability of the assays. Plaquettes are platelets and those values are in the normal range. I don't know what VPM is. I think you should get your labs done consistently in one place then you won't have the concern of variability.
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