Figure 7.

Simulation of the model described in equation 1 for up to 24 months of ART. Theoretical curves predicted by the model (solid line), for the mean values of the concentration of receptors (CD127) and free ligand (serum IL-7 levels) in the group of 30 HIV⁺ patients at each time point (dots) are shown with the use of estimates observed in the blood compartment (A) or expected for the lymph node compartment (B). The receptor growth rate p(t) and the disappearance rate d(t) during the course of the therapy were assumed to follow the observed proportion of Ki67⁺ (proliferating) CD3⁺CD127⁺ T cells and an exponential decay kinetics, respectively (C). The mean values of low- and high-binding affinities from the 2 donors were used for simulations.