Computational simulation of chronic persistent virus infection: Factors determining differences in clinical outcome of HHV-6, HIV-1 and HTLV-1 infections including aplastic, hyperplastic and neoplastic responses

A computational model was recently designed to simulate cellular changes in the T cell immune system. The model was validated by simulating cell changes in viral infections which target the same CD4+ T cell, yet cause either hyperplastic, aplastic or neoplastic responses. Respective case material for comparison was available from human infections with human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) or human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1). Starting with cell values for a healthy human individual, factorial changes that influence the individual course of the various infections were determined by an algorithm search procedure. Such factorial differences determining a clinical course with aplasia, hyperplasia or neoplasia are outlined and further discussed in this paper.