Modelo matemático para a caracterização da resposta imune inata em infecções por brucella spp

Abstract

This work presents the development and analysis of a mathematical model describing the innate immune response to infection by Brucella spp., an intracellular pathogen of veterinary and zoonotic importance. The proposed model incorporates the main cellular and molecular populations involved in the infectious process, including bacteria, cytokines, macrophages, and the dynamics of infected tissue. The formulation was discretized using the Finite Volume Method (FVM) and implemented computationally to enable spatio-temporal simulations in one dimension. Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify key parameters, followed by parameter fitting based on ex vivo cytokine data. The robustness of the model was further assessed through uncertainty quantification associated with the spatial distribution of blood vessels. The results qualitatively reproduce the characteristic cycle of the innate immune response, with stages of cell activation, bacterial clearance, and tissue recovery, highlighting both the biological consistency and predictive potential of the approach. We conclude that the model provides a solid foundation for future studies of the immune response to brucellosis and can be extended to incorporate the adaptive response, enhancing its applicability in disease prevention and control strategies.