Fig. 2

Survival proportions of EV patients grouped by their CCR5 genotype. At the 15-year follow-up, the overall mortality was 15.5% and the average period of follow-up from biopsy-based diagnosis was 102 ± 57 months (mean [± SD]) in our patient cohort (n = 97), classified by CCR5 genotyping. Survival curves (patients at risk) were generated according to the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with the log-rank statistic. a None of the patients with a 32-bp-deleted CCR5 died during a 15-year period (red line). In contrast, within the same observation period 15 out of 45 untreated individuals with the wildtype genotype met the endpoint of death. The survival rate with censored Kaplan–Meier calculation for EV positive patients without applied IFN-ß therapy was only about 33% in 15 years after initial EMB (Kaplan–Meier log-rank p = 0.010). b CCR5 wildtype individuals treated with IFN-β (green line) more likely to survive than without therapy (Kaplan–Meier log-rank p = 0.004) and reach survival proportions identical to individuals with the CCR5del32 genotype