Correlation analysis on total lymphocyte count and CD4 count of HIV-infected patients

Objective: To determine the relationship between CD4 count and other blood indices and to explore the prediction of total lymphocyte count (TLC) for CD4 count in HIV-infected patients. Methods: Cross-sectional study was performed for the prediction of TLC and other indices for CD4 count, and historical cohort study was performed for the TLC changes as a surrogate for CD4 changes of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to further understanding the utility of TLC changes for AIDS patients' management. Results: In our cross-sectional study, both TLC and white blood corpuscle count positively correlated to CD4 count, but differed in these patients. For patients on ART, the prediction of TLC for CD4 count is better than that of patient without ART. Further investigation of historical cohort study indicated that, among AIDS patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy, their TLC and haemoglobin changes also positively correlated to CD4 change, with a total correlation coefficient of 0.31 (p < 0.01) and 0.19 (p < 0.01) respectively. The prediction of TLC change for CD4 change differed each time point when patients underwent ART. Conclusions: Total lymphocyte count and its change can be used as alternative in conjunction with other indices to CD4 count and its change in the management of HIV-infected individuals in China.