Question

A helper T cell is a type of white blood cell (WBC). Why would information about Cindy’s WBCs, particularly T cells, be of interest to her
physician, considering her HIV status?

Answer 1

Answer:

Cindys physician is interested in her white blood cell count more particularly her T cells as they are known as killer cells as well as memory cells. These killer cells active in search of host cells aka "viruses". If the T cell has no memory of the host it will not be fought off as quickly. However since viruses are always adapting it is a constant battle. Furthermore since HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus, it is important to known whether she has a high or low count. Considering she has HIV it can be projected her count to be below average which is 4,000 and 11,000 per microliter of blood. Below 4,000 can lead to low immunity, which in turn means a higher risk of catching viruses such as colds or in this case HIV.