Abnormal electrolyte levels may result from persistent diarrhea or vomiting or chronic conditions such as kidney dysfunction. Iron is an important mineral that is a component of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen to all cells and tissues in the body. A low level can be a sign of anemia or internal bleeding and should be followed up by a health care provider.
Albumin and globulin are the two types of protein included in the total protein measurement. Albumin is a blood protein that helps maintain the fluid balance in the bloodstream. Globulins play a role in liver function, blood clotting and immune function. One type, immunoglobulins—better known as antibodies—fight infections.
Because your kidneys excrete these wastes into your urine, levels in the blood are used to monitor kidney function. Bilirubin total and direct , alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase GGT , alanine transaminase ALT and aspartate transaminase AST are enzymes produced by the liver.
Elevated levels can indicate liver problems, which may be due to medication side effects, viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease or other causes. Elevated bilirubin can cause the skin and eyes to look yellowish. Amylase is a digestive enzyme produced by the salivary glands and pancreas.
An elevated level can indicate swelling or inflammation of the pancreas pancreatitis , is side effect of some older HIV meds.
LD or LDH stands for lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme involved in energy production. An elevated level can indicate acute or chronic tissue damage and, along with other lab tests, it may help diagnose liver disease, pancreatitis, certain cancers or other problems. One of the most important blood tests that your doctor will order is a complete blood count CBC , which is an inventory of the different types of blood cells.
These can be grouped into three categories: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Knowing how many of these cells are in a blood sample provides a lot of valuable information. If you are on stable treatment and your CD4s are no longer being monitored regularly, get a CBC every year or if clinically indicated.
The reference ranges shown below are for adult males. Some may vary for women, children and adolescents. Check your lab report for specific reference ranges. White blood cells, or leukocytes are immune system cells that defend the body against invaders and cancers. They are formed in bone marrow and either enter the blood or migrate to key organs such as the spleen, lymph nodes or gut.
White blood cells include lymphocytes, neutrophils and monocytes. Some CBC reports include a differential section that breaks out their numbers and percentages. Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are responsible for delivering oxygen throughout the body. There are between 3. A low RBC count can indicate anemia, which can lead to fatigue.
A high count can occur in people with low oxygen levels, for example due to heart disease or chronic lung disease. Hemoglobin and hematocrit provide more information about red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen. Hematocrit refers to the proportion of blood that is made up of red blood cells.
A low hemoglobin level or hematocrit percentage may indicate anemia. This test measures the size of red blood cells. Larger red blood cells may indicate anemia due to vitamin B6 or folic acid deficiency while smaller red blood cells may indicate anemia due to iron deficiency.
Since red blood cells can come in different sizes, RDW looks at the range of these sizes in a blood sample. Platelets are tiny cell fragments that enable the blood to clot in case of injury, but excessive clotting can lead to blockage of arteries or veins. If you have had an undetectable viral load and a CD4 cell count over for at least a year, then your doctor may feel that CD4 cell counts are not needed at all — so long as your viral load remains undetectable.
However, if your viral load increased, or you had HIV-related symptoms, then your CD4 cell count would be monitored again. CD4 cell counts can vary a lot between people. Your own CD4 cell count may go up and down in response to different factors such as exercise, lack of sleep or smoking. Rather than attach too much significance to an individual test result, it makes good sense to monitor any trends in changes to your CD4 cell count over time. If you have another infection, such as the flu or an outbreak of herpes, talk to your clinic about whether it is best to delay your CD4 count until you are feeling better.
If you get a result that is very different to that expected, your doctor may want to repeat the test to check whether the first result was a laboratory error. In addition to using a test to count the number of CD4 cells, doctors sometimes measure the proportion of all white blood cells that are CD4 cells. This is called a CD4 cell percentage. For example, if your CD4 percentage is very different to your CD4 cell count, it might be a sign of another health problem. One circumstance when your doctor might measure your CD4 cell percentage could be if there is a big variation in your CD4 cell count between one test and the next.
CD4 percentages are less likely to fluctuate than CD4 counts. You can also view our illustrated information about CD4 and viral load , the immune system , undetectable viral load and other tests. CD4 count. Primary tabs View active tab Preview. Roger Pebody. May Key points CD4 cell counts give an indication of the health of your immune system. The latest news and research on CD4 count. If your CD4 count is lower than you expect, the CD4 percentage can put it into better perspective by telling this whether this is an actual change or just a fluctuation.
Typically, in advancing disease, as the immune system becomes exhausted, it is less able to produce T-cells to defend itself. The absolute CD4 count and CD4 percentage give your healthcare provider a snapshot of the health of your immune system, as well as the prognosis of your disease moving forward. In its simplest form, we know that CD4 counts of less than place a person with HIV at risk of opportunistic infections.
The CD4 percentage, meanwhile, takes into consideration the total number of lymphocytes and is somewhat more predictive of a person's immediate and long-term health.
If, for example, the CD4 count is higher only because the total lymphocyte count is higher, we would still have a cause of concern about the patient's health. If, on the other hand, the CD4 is lower as a result of a lower lymphocyte count, we could interpret outcomes differently. Get information on prevention, symptoms, and treatment to better ensure a long and healthy life.
Immunol Rev. J Immunol. Vajpayee M, Mohan T. Current practices in laboratory monitoring of HIV infection. Indian J Med Res. Medicine Baltimore. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth.
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