Absolute count and percentage of CD4+ lymphocytes are independent predictors of disease progression in HIV-infected persons initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is recommended when the absolute CD4(+) T lymphocyte count is 200 cells/mm(3), and it should be considered when that count is > or =200, although the optimal timing when it is > or =200 is unclear. Because preliminary data had suggested that a low CD4(+) T lymphocyte percentage (%CD4) is associated with disease progression in persons initiating HAART who have a higher absolute CD4, we sought to further characterize the predictive utility of %CD4.