IS THE REDUCTION IN HIGH VIRUS LEVEL DUE TO THE HIV-SPECIFIC IMMUNE RESPONSE?
GROUND: It is assumed that the decline from high virus peak in primary infection is attributable to the HIV-specific immune response. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the decline in virus level could occur in the absence of an HIV-specific response. METHODS: A mathematical model was constructed of HIV/lymphocyte dynamics which considered only the processes of generation and death/removal of uninfected and infected CD4 lymphocytes and free virus. No increase in the removal rate of infected cells or virus, to reflect the beginning of an HIV-specific immune response, was incorporated. RESULTS: Using apparently plausible estimates for parameters governing the rate of these processes a pattern of changes in virus and CD4 lymphocyte level similar to the pattern observed in patients was predicted (table: see text). This pattern of virus was robust to various changes in parameter values and to the underlying structure of the model. CONCLUSION: Given the fact that HIV-specific immune responses are
