Cd3 Cd4 Immunohistochemistry Biopsy Tissue

HIV infection decreases the number of CD4 T-cells, also called T4 helper cells, the ratio of CD4 to CD8 T-cells and the number of CD8+ T-cells. These counts are ordered frequently to guide decisions about anti-retroviral therapy. Laboratories usually report both percentage and absolute count. When you map CD4 and CD8 markers, be careful! Since at least 1997, CDC has required the detection of both CD3+ and CD4+ to identify T4 helper cells, because the CD3 marker is needed to identify T-cell . So, any tests that report T4 helper cells are really reporting cells that carry BOTH the CD3+ and the CD4+ markers. The measure name may be CD3+ CD4+ cells, CD4+ marker, T4 cells or even just CD4+ (a misnomer). Exactly analogous rules apply to CD8+. Measures that include only CD4 or only CD8 in their name are really measuring CD3+CD4+ cells or CD3+CD8+ cells, respectively and should be reported with the LOINC code that includes both of those markers. The panel named T cell subsets will usually contain both CD3 + CD4 and CD3 + CD8 counts. These names assume that one has already gated to lymphocytes only. Lymphocytes are identified by CD45 markers. So a CD45+CD3+CD4+ is a more complicated way to name CD3+C4+ cells and in the context of looking for CD4 helper T cells they are the same . The same applies to other flow cytometer measures that are looking only at lymphocytes (B-cells, NK cells, etc). HIV infection decreases the number of CD3+ CD4+ lymphocytes (also called CD4 T cells or T4 helper cells) while increasing (momentarily) the numbers of CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes (called CD8 T lymphocytes or cytotoxic T cells). Thus the ratio of CD4/CD8 lymphocytes is decreased. These counts are used for prognostic purposes and to guide in the retroviral therapy. CDC has emphasized since 1997 that the number of CD3+ lymphocytes is necessary in addition to the number of CD4+ cells to reliably identify the T4 helper cells and the number of CD8+ cells. Laboratory reports that include only CD4 or only CD8 in their nomenclature are most likely really measuring CD3+CD4+ cells and CD3+CD8+ cells, respectively.