Table 1.

Interferon serum levels in the groups

IFN types	Control group (n=42)	Case group (n=42)			P values for pairwise comparisons
		Dry type (n=20)	Wet type (n=22)	Overall (n=42)
Alpha	<7.8	<7.8	<7.8	<7.8*	0.99
Βeta	34.89±18.81	42.97±18.46	50.43±33.36	46.88±27.7	0.021 (Wet-control=0.04, Wet-dry=0.916, Dry-control=0.623)
Gamma	2.45±9.5¥	0.266±0.35	4.8±20.7	2.66±15¶	0.938

*In the case group, the alpha IFN levels of the patients were all under the kit sensitivity cutoff point (<0.99 pg/ml) except for one patient who had an alpha IFN level of 5.7 pg/ml, ^¥In the control group, the gamma IFN levels of the patients were all under the kit sensitivity cutoff point (<0.99 pg/ml) except for six patients who had gamma IFN levels of 9.73, 57.87, 4.59, 23.16, 1.95, and 6.69 (mean: 17.33 pg/ml), ^¶In the case groups, the gamma IFN levels of the patients were all under the kit sensitivity cutoff point (<0.99 pg/ml) except for three patients who had gamma IFN levels of 2.2, 97.79, and 2.29 (mean: 34.09 pg/ml). IFN=Interferon