%0 Journal Article
%T Stochastic Model for Langerhans Cells and HIV Dynamics In Vivo
%A Waema R. Mbogo
%A Livingstone S. Luboobi
%A John W. Odhiambo
%J ISRN Applied Mathematics
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/594617
%X 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, 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. 1. Introduction HIV is a devastating human pathogen that causes serious immunological diseases in humans around the world. The virus is able to remain latent in an infected host for many years, allowing for the long-term survival of the virus and inevitably prolonging the infection process [1]. The location and mechanisms of HIV latency are under investigation and remain important topics in the study of viral pathogenesis. Given that HIV is a blood-borne pathogen, a number of cell types have been proposed to be the sites of latency, including resting memory + T cells, peripheral blood monocytes, dendritic cells (including Langerhans cells) and macrophages in the lymph nodes, and haematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow [2]. This study updates the latest advances in the study of HIV interactions with Langerhans cells and highlights the potential role of these cells as viral reservoirs and the effects of the HIV-host-cell interactions on viral pathogenesis. Despite advances in our understanding of HIV and the human immune response in the last 25 years, much of this complex interaction remains elusive. T cells are targets of HIV and are also important for the establishment and maintenance of an adaptive immune response [3]. The skin and mucosa are the first line of defense of the organism against external agents, not only as a physical barrier between the body and the environment but also as the site of initiation of immune reactions. The immunocompetent cells which act as antigen-presenting cells are Langerhans cells (LCs). Infection of LCs by HIV is relevant to several reasons. Firstly, LCs of mucosal epithelia may be among the first cells to be infected following mucosal HIV exposure and, secondly, LCs may serve as a reservoir for continued infection of T cells, especially in lymph
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.applied.mathematics/2014/594617/