How High Should the CD4 Cells Go?

Despite all the research into the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART), clinicians are still unable to answer some of the simplest questions patients routinely ask. Among the most common: What is a “good” T-cell response to effective therapy? How high “should” the CD4-cell count rise in order to minimize AIDS-related morbidity and mortality?

To find answers, researchers analyzed clinical data from 16 cohort studies including more than 23,000 patients who started combination ART between 1998 and 2005 in North America or Europe and, within 6 months, attained a viral load <400 copies/mL. Overall, median CD4-cell increases at 6 months were lower for patients with pretreatment CD4 counts <50 cells/mm³ than for those with higher levels; deaths…