A patient with HIV has a CD4 count of 180 cells/mm3. What does this indicate about immune status?

• A. Normal immune function
• B. Mild immunosuppression
• C. Severe immunosuppression
• D. No infection risk

Answer: (D)

CD4 cells reflect how well the immune system can fight infections in HIV. A normal range is roughly 500 to 1,500 cells per mm3. A count of 180 is well below normal, and when CD4 counts drop below about 200, immune function is considered severely compromised. This level marks AIDS-defining immunosuppression, meaning there’s a high risk for opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, fungal infections, or MAC organisms. So this finding indicates severe immunosuppression, not normal function or mild suppression, and there is a significant infection risk.