Sex based relative expression of estrogen receptors and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in liver affects hepatitis C virus viral pathogenesis

Figure 3 Message RNA expression of estrogen receptor β in human liver tissues with hepatitis C virus-related diseases. Estrogen receptor (ER) β message RNA (mRNA) expression was analyzed in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis and HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma liver tissues and compared to normals. A: ESR2 transcript levels by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction normalized to GUSB and SRSF4 expression and compared using the ΔΔCt method; B: Stratification of A by sex; C: Ratio of ESR1 to ESR2 mRNA expression; D: Stratification of C by sex. Column bars represent the median. Each symbol represents one individual. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn’s Multiple Comparisons posttest where P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. ^aP ≤ 0.05. mRNA: Message RNA; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.