Total lymphocyte count is a reliable surrogate marker for CD4 cell counts after the first year of antiretroviral therapy: data from an Indonesian cohort study.

Many studies have evaluated the total lymphocyte count (TLC) as a cheap surrogate marker for CD4 cells in HIV-infected patients not receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). We assessed whether TLC can replace CD4 cell counts in evaluating the immunological response to ART. In a cohort of patients in Indonesia TLC, if measured after at least 1-year ART, correctly identified patients with <200 CD4 cells, and reliably excluded immunological failure, obviating the need for CD4 cell measurement in 43% of patients.