title: Modelling the role of Tax expression in HTLV-I persistence in vivo.
abstract: Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is a persistent human retrovirus characterized by life-long infection and risk of developing HAM/TSP, a progressive neurological and inflammatory disease, and adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Chronically infected individuals often harbor high proviral loads despite maintaining a persistently activated immune response. Based on a new hypothesis for the persistence of HTLV-I infection, a three-dimensional compartmental model is constructed that describes the dynamic interactions among latently infected target cells, target-cell activation, and immune responses to HTLV-I, with an emphasis on understanding the role of Tax expression in the persistence of HTLV-I.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G1, Canada. mli@math.ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Aaron G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015870:Gene Expression; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000235:genetics; D016355:Genes, pX; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D008954:Models, Biological; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D016356:Gene Products, tax; C514970:tax protein, Human T-lymphotrophic virus 1