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Viral diversity limits immune diversity in asymptomatic phase of HIV infection.

Iwami S, Nakaoka S, Takeuchi Y

Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Japan.

We propose a new diversity threshold theory which states that the specific CTLs to the viral strain become inactivated (that is, some HIV strain can escape from its specific immune response) when the diversity of HIV strains exceeds some threshold number. We call this number "immune diversity threshold". Our theory can explain the inactivation of specific immune response and a limit of maximum immune diversity. We can conclude that the accumulation of viral diversity eventually leads to AIDS.

Published 2 April 2008 in Theor Popul Biol, 73(3): 332-41.
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