Chronic hepatitis B virus and liver fibrosis: A mathematical model

Avner Friedman and Nourridine Siewe

PLOS ONE, 2018, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a liver disorder that can result in cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV infection remains a major global health problem, as it affects more 350 million people chronically and kills roughly 600,000 people annually. Drugs currently used against HBV include IFN-α that decreases viremia, inflammation and the growth of liver fibrosis, and adefovir that decreases the viral load. Each of these drugs can have severe side-effects. In the present paper, we consider the treatment of chronic HBV by a combination of IFN-α and adefovir, and raise the following question: What should be the optimal ratio between IFN-α and adefovir in order to achieve the best ‘efficacy’ under constraints on the total amount of the drugs; here the efficacy is measured by the reduction of the levels of inflammation and of fibrosis? We develop a mathematical model of HBV pathogenesis by a system of partial differential equations (PDEs) and use the model to simulate a ‘synergy map’ which addresses the above question.

Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0195037

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195037

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