MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF CHEMOTHERAPY OF HUMAN TB INFECTION

Abstract

This work assesses the impact of the first line drug regimen on active disease control under the stipulated time of tuberculosis (TB) treatment. In an effort to understand why a robust immune response mechanism sometimes fails to completely control TB infection, we first developed a model that captures the human immune response mechanisms to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. We then extended the model to include drug therapy. The drug therapy model is used to assess the potency of the recommended six-month TB drug chemotherapy in infected individuals. The efficacy of each drug was explored and observations show that low drug efficacy values result in extension of treatment period. The numerical results confirm typical clinical disease progression patterns noticed in individuals under TB therapy. The drug model simulations and analysis show that administration of the recommended first line three-drug regimen normally cures the TB infection. Using the model, we established that only Isoniazid monotherapy drug treatment, and any combination therapy of two drugs including Isoniazid are potent enough to resolve the TB infection.