Optimal timing of antiviral therapy in HIV infection
- 1 January 1994
- journal article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Journal of Applied Probability
- Vol. 31 (A), 3-15
- https://doi.org/10.2307/3214944
Abstract
A three-stage real diffusion process is used as a model of the T-cell count of an HIV-positive individual who is to receive antiviral therapy such as AZT. The ‘quality of life' of such a person is identified as the sojourn time of the diffusion process above a certain critical T-cell level c. The time of introducing therapy is defined as the first-passage time of the diffusion to a prescribed level z > c. The distribution of the sojourn time of the diffusion above the level c depends on the level z at which therapy is initiated. The expected sojourn time is explicitly computed as a function of z for the particular diffusion process defining the model. There is a simple criterion for determining when to start therapy as early as possible.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Is Earlier Better for AZT Therapy in HIV Infection? A Mathematical ModelPublished by Springer Nature ,1992