Stochastic Model for Langerhans Cells and HIV Dynamics In Vivo

Abstract

Many aspects of the complex interaction between HIV and the human immune system remain elusive. Our objective is to study these interactions, focusing on the specific roles of Langerhans cells (LCs) in HIV infection. In patients infected with HIV, a large amount of virus is associated with LCs in lymphoid tissue. To assess the influence of LCs on HIV viral dynamics during antiretroviral therapy, we present and analyse a stochastic model describing the dynamics of HIV, CD4+ T cells, and LCs interactions under therapeutic intervention in vivo and show that LCs play an important role in enhancing and spreading initial HIV infection. We perform sensitivity analyses on the model to determine which parameters and/or which interaction mechanisms strongly affect infection dynamics.