TABLE 3.

IFN-γ production in response to HCV proteins (ELISpot) at week 12^a

HCV patient profile (no. of patients)	Mean no. of cells producing IFN-γ per million PBMCs ± SD
	Core HCV protein	NS3	NS4	NS5	Tetanus toxoid
Spontaneous recovery (13)b	483 ± 120.6	645 ± 123	593 ± 215	470 ± 154	813 ± 346
Persistent aviremia (14)c	158 ± 73	112 ± 56	132 ± 19	179 ± 47	765 ± 213
Chronic evolution (47)d	56 ± 34	21 ± 3	13 ± 7	20 ± 2	793 ± 243

^aP values for patients with the indicated conditions in response to core HCV protein, NS3, NS4, NS5, and tetanus toxoid were as follows: spontaneous recovery versus persistent aviremia, 0.004, 0.004, 0.02, 0.09, and 0.95, respectively; spontaneous recovery versus chronic evolution, 0.001, 0.006, 0.004, 0.009, and 0.657, respectively; persistent aviremia versus chronic evolution, 0.01, 0.020, 0.005, 0.002, and 0.300, respectively.

^bNine index patients and four contacts.

^cAviremic contacts who had HCV responses.

^dForty-three index patients and four infected contacts.