The Role of e-Antigen in Hepatitis B Infection

Abstract

Mathematical modeling of biological systems has improved the knowledge of scientists for many years. In virology, particularly in the study of hepatitis B virus, mathematical models were used to explain interactions between hepatitis B virus and the human host in the absence and presence of interventions such as drug therapy and vaccines. This thesis seeks to explain the role of e-Antigen, a particle produced by hepatitis B virus, in the pathogenesis of hepatitis B infection. To accomplish this goal, I will provide biological background as well as previous modeling work on the role of e-Antigen in hepatitis B virus infection, before finally developing a new model adapted specifically for connecting hepatitis B progression with e-Antigen and drug therapy. I will analyze the model both analytically and numerically, fit it to virus data from humans chronically infected with hepatitis B that undergo drug therapy, and draw conclusions about the relation between drugs, immune activation, and loss of e-Antigen.