Hepatitis is the term used to describe inflammation in the liver. It is associated with a high rate of mortality, but the underlying disease mechanisms are not completely understood and treatment options are limited. We present a mathematical model of hepatitis that captures the complex interactions between hepatocytes (liver cells), hepatic stellate cells (cells in the liver that produce hepatitis-associated fibrosis) and the immune components that mediate inflammation. The model is in the form of a system of ordinary differential equations. We use numerical techniques and bifurcation analysis to characterize and elucidate the physiological mechanisms that dominate liver injury and its outcome to a healthy or unhealthy, chronic state. This study reveals the complex interactions between the multiple cell types and mediators involved in this complex disease and highlights potential problems in targeting inflammation in the liver therapeutically.

中文翻译：

---

探索肝炎的构成机制：动力系统方法

肝炎是用来描述肝脏炎症的术语。它与高死亡率相关，但潜在的疾病机制尚未完全了解，治疗选择也有限。我们提出了一个肝炎的数学模型，该模型捕捉了肝细胞（肝细胞）、肝星状细胞（肝脏中产生肝炎相关纤维化的细胞）和介导炎症的免疫成分之间复杂的相互作用。该模型采用常微分方程组的形式。我们使用数值技术和分岔分析来描述和阐明主导肝损伤的生理机制及其对健康或不健康的慢性状态的影响。