Thanks for the follow-up Dr Wohl.

I asked about people that may have had low CD4 counts prior to infection with HIV.

I had a scare about seven years ago where both myself and my Dr at the time were afraid I was having a bad sero-conversion. It ended up NOT being HIV, but was a "Hepatitis like" infection (not A, B, or C). I know he ordered an HIV antibody test AND a Viral Load test (that both came back negative). I'm hopeful that he also went ahead and ordered a CD4/CD8 count (but I can't specifically remember). I've put in a HIPAA request from my prior provider for copies of those lab results.

My anxiety is centered around this statement: 200-500 CD4+ Cells Increased risk for shingles (zoster), thrush (candida), skin infections, bacterial sinus and lung infections, and TB. Opportunistic infections (such as PCP, MAC and CMV) are rare.

This could easily describe my pre-HIV health state (minus the shingles & TB), which is why I'm anxious.

But, what hat I took away from your previous comments was that this is probably not the case for me, because naturally low CD4 count is more hereditary than not, and since the majority of my family, while having what we call weak constitutions, generally survive and live long lives, then I probably have just had, as you say, bad luck, and not something more systemic.

Thanks!

Right. While some people can develop low CD4 cell counts, especially during illness, it is rare to see profound low CD4 cell counts in otherwise healthy people. There is an HIV-negative AIDS like disease but this is extremely uncommon.

The health of your family members is reassuring.

DW