Fig. 4. Modeled estimate of intact HIV DNA clearance including misclassification and/or very long lived intact proviruses.

A Observed intact model (dashed green) matches the data (gray) by adding misclassified defectives to true intact proviruses that continuously decay with a 46 month half-life (tan). B Defective proviral levels from the model (navy) simultaneously match data (gray) and contribute to long-term decay of observed intact proviruses in (A). C Mathematical model from Fig. 2 with an additional compartment of truly intact proviruses that are very long lived (I₂) and decay with the same rate as defective proviruses. D Simulations of this extended model. Each solid line represents an assumption about the initial level of very long lived proviruses (from none, the original assumption, to 1/3 of all truly intact proviruses). A different corresponding misclassification fraction was needed so that all 4 dashed green lines overlay and correctly regenerate observed intact levels from (A).