Altered AKT1 and MAPK1 Gene Expression on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Correlation with T-Helper-Transcription Factors in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients
Figure 1
(a) Intracellular kinases and immunoreceptors gene expressions levels. RNAs extracted from PBMC of SLE patients () and controls () were reverse transcribed, and the gene expression levels were determined by qRT-PCR using gene-specific primers for indicated genes and GAPDH to normalize the mRNA expression (Materials and Methods, Supplementary Materials, and Table 2). Proportion of transcript present in the samples was calculated using the relative quantification 2-ΔΔCt scheme. Control samples were used as comparative calibrator. Final results represent the relative amount of amplicon in patient’s sample (fold change) to the mean level of the transcripts in the control samples. In the figure, results are represented in box plots given the median (horizontal bars within boxes), the mean (cross points); box limits correspond to quartiles, and vertical lines indicate the 5–95 percentile range. Results are represented in a log 10 scale, and the indicated numbers are the antilog values. Significance levels set at values <0.05. AKT1, MAPK1, and ZAP70 gene expressions were increased in SLE patients compared with controls (Wilcoxon Signed Rank test: , , ). Gene expression of CCR6 was decreased in SLE patients compared with controls (Wilcoxon Signed Rank test: ). (b) T-helper transcription factors gene expression ratios in SLE patients. Results are expressed as indicated in (a). FOXP3/RORC ratio in SLE patients versus controls (Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, ). FOXP3/GATA3 ratio in SLE versus controls (Wilcoxon test, ).
