Figure 3 COX‐2 gene expression and protein presence at the SM in CBX, ACF, and control groups of patients. (A) COX‐2 expression measured by real time PCR. The comparative Ct method was used for relative quantification. COX‐1 and COX‐2 mRNA expression were normalised relative to 18S rRNA in each well, and each patient value for each gene expression was then normalised relative to the calibrator value (one of the CBX patients was chosen as calibrator = 1). (B) Representative western blots of COX‐2 and α‐tubulin, and a densitometric analysis of COX‐2 levels expressed in arbitrary units (AU) after correction by α‐tubulin are shown. *p<0.05 v control patients. Data represent the mean (SEM), n = 7–9 patients per group.