System Dynamics of Chronic Hepatitis B - Modeling the Virus and Immune System of Chronic Hepatitis B

The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B is very complex, Systems biology can help us understand it by considering the body, virus and immune system as a whole. Mathematical model including HBV, hepatocytes and the immune system was established in this paper describing the interaction of virus and immune system. The model considered not only the side that hepatitis B virus can evoke the immune system, but also the other side that hepatitis B virus can suppress the immune function by leading a high death rate of hepatitis B virus-specific Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). The condition why the immune system fails to eliminate the virus is explained by an inequality. Four kinds of chronic hepatitis, including acute-turn-chronic hepatitis, chronic hepatitis without acute phase, recurring hepatitis and chronic hepatitis (infected at birth) were simulated to show the natural history of chronic hepatitis.