Inflammatory Bowel Disease: How Effective Is TNF-α Suppression?
Crohn's Disease (CD) results from inappropriate response toward commensal flora. Earlier studies described CD as a Th1 mediated disease. Current models view both phenotypes as a continuum of various permutations between Th1, Th2 and Th17 pathways compounded by a range of Treg disfunctions. In the present paper, we develop a mathematical model, by a system of differential equations, which describe the dynamic relations among these T cells and their cytokines. The model identities four groups of CD patients according to up/down regulation of Th1 and Th2. The model simulations show that immunosuppression by TNF-α blockage benefits the group with Th1High/Th2Low while, by contrast, the group with Th1Low/Th2High will benefit from immune activation.
Department of Mathematics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.
Wing-Cheong
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7771-5213
WC
Lo
Armedica LLC, Dublin, Ohio, United States of America.
Violeta
V
Arsenescu
Digestive Health Institute, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center of Excellence Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, New Jersey, United States of America.
Razvan I
RI
Arsenescu
Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Avner
A
Friedman
D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000502:physiology; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000502:physiology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha