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CD4-CD8 Test Interpretation

soulfeast

Senior Member
Messages
420
Location
Virginia, US
CD4 (helper cells) 43% (30-61)

Absolute CD4 + cells 527 (490-1740)

CD8 (supressor T cells) 28% (12-42)

Absolute CD8+ cells 340 (180-1170)

Helper/Suppressor Ratio 1.55 (0.86-5.00)

Absolute Lymphocytes 1274 (850-3900)

Not sure what this all means. Can anyone help me?

Thank you!
 

Overstressed

Senior Member
Messages
406
Location
Belgium
Hi soulfeast,

These numbers look very normal to me, your absolute cd4 might seem a bit lower, but your cd4 percentage is very good. Your percentage is most important, and this is good.

Next, your cd8 absolute numbers are completely normal, which is good. Even your lumphocytes are normal. I don't see any traces of a virus infection.

Best wishes,
OS.
 

soulfeast

Senior Member
Messages
420
Location
Virginia, US
Thank you. Do you know the values which indicate a problem? Want to keep a file with info. This would seem to verify or add evidence to the theory that mycotoxicosis as a probable source of my mitochrondrial dysfunction and CFS. I do have a positive glutathione induced Real Time Lab mycotoxin panel and buccal swab indicating respiratory complex 1 dysfunction. Also fitting the pattern for methylation dysfunction and gut is a wreck.
 
Messages
37
Location
Europe
A CD4/CD8 ratio less than 1 or a low % CD4 count may indicate an inmnuno deficience. Your numbers are within the normal.
 

Sing

Senior Member
Messages
1,782
Location
New England
What does it mean to have a CD4 to CD 8 ratio of 1.8 ? Any ideas? I also have very low IgG, abnormally low IgM and nearly abnormally low IgA. Would really appreciate some thoughts as it will be months probably before I find out anything from these doctors. Snail's pace to get anything done around here.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
cd4/8 ratio is just one indication that possibly your immune system(one part) is strong or weak.
my cd4/8 ratio tested low once and i dont have HIV but was a sign that my immune system was struggling. What is interesting is that the many lymphocyte tests i have had my ratio of cd4/8 have been normally but my actually cd4 and cd8 numbers have tested high which is most likely due to an active infection. So its worth looking at total lymphocyte numbers as well as total t cell numbers as well as the ratios. there are other immune tests worth looking at to see if things are functioning normal eg nk numbers and function, immunoglobulin sub classes. So dont stop looking if you think u have immune/infectious issues just because your cd4/8 ratio is normal.

cheers!!
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Also good to maybe get several tests done a few months apart, maybe getting tested during a crash etc which might show something also. this illness is up and down so its probably reasonable to see immune system tests changing often, maybe due to infection reactivating etc??
 

Thinktank

Senior Member
Messages
1,640
Location
Europe
Here are my CD4/CD8 ratio results:

CD4/CD8(FACSCAN)
WBC count 7240 cells/mm^3 ref range = 5000 - 10000
lymphocyte 37% HIGH ref range = 20-35
CD4 42.99% ref range = 31.00 - 60.00
Absolute CD4 count 1139 ref range = 529 - 1351
CD8 29.99% ref range = 13 - 41
Absolute CD8 count 795 ref range = 454 - 1028
CD4/CD8 ratio = 1.43

How are my numbers looking?

Now, this test was taken before my "mast cell activation syndrome" or "carcinoid syndrome" - like attacks which started appearing a few months ago and keep worsening.

Should i retest for CD4 / CD 8 ?

I also have low C3, normal C4
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
I would get it tested again in a couple of months. Total lymphocytes being elevated is a sign of an infection but this can be something like a cold virus too which is why to get them tested every few months to see a pattern. CD3 is a NK cell along with cd56 so looks like a low nk cell count which would leave one open to viral infections etc
cd8 is commonly elevated in herpes infections such as ebv/cmv so if one tests positive for those viruses then a high cd8 count could indicate that ebv/cmv is a current infection.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Looking at my past lymphocyte sub set tests. I have had a total of 17 done over 6 years and this test is what my doc uses to keep an eye on my viral infections(ebv/cmv).

pre antivirals total lymphocyte were elevated as well as the other T cells. My cd56 nk cells have always tested within range.
My cd8 have tested elevated in every test other then 2 tests.
cd3 have been elevated in all tests bar 1.
cd4 has had an even mix of elevated and normal range tests.
My total lymphocytes have tested within normal range when on antivirals and my T cells have come down on antivirals but obviously not to within normal range.
I had 2 tests where i changed over from famvir to valtrex and all my lymphocytes went up so for me valtrex wasnt helping, so im guessing that also if i stopped antivirals altogether they would also tests high once again.

I have tested low in nk function in 5 tests over an 18month period during a cfs study, during this time i was on famvir. I cant remember when exactly but not to far from when i had the nk function testing where my GP was able to send me for a lymphocyte function test, it cameback normal and no ranges were given, i found that interesting as my nk function was quite low.

Have had multiple tests show my neutrophils are low also.

A general rule to follow is that if they are high then your immune system is fighting something and if low then your immune system is tiring. So its not really a specific test but can be used i guess with other tests to help your doc draw conclusions??
 
Messages
37
Location
Europe
my cd4/8 ratio tested low once


with HIV is common to see not a "low" ratio (I guess you mean a number closer to 1 but not below 1), but an inverted CD4/CD8 ratio. In other words, a number less than 1. The reason of this is that HIV infects CD4 cells. When this happens CD8 (T killer cells) think they (CD4 - T helper cells) are "bad cells" and therefore they attack and kill them, leading to a lower CD4 number and a higher CD8 number.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
with HIV is common to see not a "low" ratio (I guess you mean a number closer to 1 but not below 1), but an inverted CD4/CD8 ratio. In other words, a number less than 1. The reason of this is that HIV infects CD4 cells. When this happens CD8 (T killer cells) think they (CD4 - T helper cells) are "bad cells" and therefore they attack and kill them, leading to a lower CD4 number and a higher CD8 number.

The low test i had showed cd4/8 ratio of .85 (1-3.5).
 

Seven7

Seven
Messages
3,444
Location
USA
soulfeast WARNING: I had a complete normal test CD4 to CD8 because my body was compensating one side to the other, when GP did the test. The CFS specialist run 2 test, this one and the lymphocyte sub-pannel and cytikone profile just she could explain to me and GP why all tests looked normal while I felt like crap!!

When the sub-pannel was run, then they found the abnormalities. Just a thought.

Example analogy: You know how some people have normal thyroid test TSH but they have abnormal Th3 or Th4??? Is the same with these tests. You could be normal at this level and still abnormal on subpannel.
 

knackers323

Senior Member
Messages
1,625
ive just got an a CD8 absolute count of 0.26 (0.40-1.00)

does this mean anything?
anyone else have similar?

the lab notes say that a reduced number is a feature of many chronic autoimmune diseases, SLE, sjogerns, etc.
 

sorin

Senior Member
Messages
345
with HIV is common to see not a "low" ratio (I guess you mean a number closer to 1 but not below 1), but an inverted CD4/CD8 ratio. In other words, a number less than 1. The reason of this is that HIV infects CD4 cells. When this happens CD8 (T killer cells) think they (CD4 - T helper cells) are "bad cells" and therefore they attack and kill them, leading to a lower CD4 number and a higher CD8 number.
My last test, done in February showed CD4/CD8=0.7 because of CD4=728 and CD8=1040!
I tested several times for HIV and the result was negative. So what happens in this case?
 

TrixieStix

Senior Member
Messages
539
My last test, done in February showed CD4/CD8=0.7 because of CD4=728 and CD8=1040!
I tested several times for HIV and the result was negative. So what happens in this case?
I saw an immunologist last month and we have just spoken today to go over the results of my tests and discuss what they mean.

I have an inverted CD4/CD8 Ratio. However apparently being that it is inverted due to elevated CD8 it is considered normal. When I asked the doctor about the elevated CD8% he said it is nothing to be at all worried about and just means my immune system is working well.

I also asked him his thoughts about the significance of my low NK Cell Function test that was run in February when I was seen at Open Medicine Clinic. He said he doesn't put much stock in it and that it isn't anything to be concerned about in my case. This isn't surprising to me as I've seen others post that their immunologist was also unconcerned about their low NK Cell Function results.
 
Last edited:

Mij

Messages
2,353
All my CD's are below normal. High CD4/CD8 ratio. The immunologist was only a little concerned about the CD8 count so ran some viral RNA DNA testing and everything was normal. He had no idea what an NK cell function was when I asked.
 

sorin

Senior Member
Messages
345
I saw an immunologist last month and we have just spoken today to go over the results of my tests and discuss what they mean.

I have an inverted CD4/CD8 Ratio. However apparently being that it is inverted due to elevated CD8 it is considered normal. When I asked the doctor about the elevated CD8% he said it is nothing to be at all worried about and just means my immune system is working well.

I also asked him his thoughts about the significance of my low NK Cell Function test that was run in February when I was seen at Open Medicine Clinic. He said he doesn't put much stock in it and that it isn't anything to be concerned about in my case. This isn't surprising to me as I've seen others post that their immunologist was also unconcerned about their low NK Cell Function results.

Thank you so much for your reply. I really did not know that " it is inverted due to elevated CD8 it is considered normal. " but that is a relief for me. I was worried about my inverted ratio due to high CD8... My doctor said that my high CD8 is due to an immunological over-reaction to some unknown infection. But he could not say more. So looks like in our cases, we are just "ok"? :) I mean OK but feeling bad...