TABLE 2.
TTV detection and loads in the PBMC and plasma at selected times of IFN treatment
| Day of treatment | No. of patients testeda | TTV DNA
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PBMC
|
Plasma
|
||||
| No. of patients positive | Log10 copies/μg of total DNA (mean ± SE)b | No. of patients positive | Log10 copies/ml (mean ± SE)b | ||
| 0 | 8 | 8 | 5.8 ± 0.5 | 8 | 6.2 ± 0.4 |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | 5.9 ± 0.6 | 8 | 6.1 ± 0.3 |
| 2 | 8 | 8 | 5.3 ± 0.6 | 8 | 6.5 ± 0.2 |
| 3 | 5 | 5 | 4.9 ± 0.6* | 5 | 5.2 ± 0.5* |
| 7 | 8 | 8 | 5.2 ± 0.6 | 8 | 5.3 ± 0.4* |
| 30 | 7 | 7 | 4.1 ± 0.5* | 5 | 4.2 ± 0.6** |
| 90 | 7 | 5 | 3.6 ± 0.6** | 3 | 4.1 ± 0.6** |
a
Not all samples were available for all patients at all times.
b
TTV loads below detection sensitivity were arbitrarily scored as 2 and 3 log10 copies/μg of total DNA or per ml of plasma, respectively. * and **, significantly different from day 0 at P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively (Student's t test).