Regulation of Th1/Th2 cells in asthma development: a mathematical model

Abstract

Airway exposure levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) determine type I versus type II helper T cell induced experimental asthma. While high LPS levels induce Th1-dominant responses, low LPS levels derive Th2 cell induced asthma. The present paper develops a mathematical model of asthma development which focuses on the relative balance of Th1 and Th2 cell induced asthma. In the present work we represent the complex network of interactions between cells and molecules by a mathematical model. The model describes the behaviors of cells (Th0, Th1, Th2 and macrophages) and regulatory molecules (IFN- γ, IL-4, IL-12, TNF-α) in response to high, intermediate, and low levels of LPS. The simulations show how variations in the levels of injected LPS affect the development of Th1 or Th2 cell responses through differential cytokine induction. The model also predicts the coexistence of these two types of response under certain biochemical and biomechanical conditions in the microenvironment.