Figure 2.

Validation of Cluster 1 microarray data by qPCR analysis. DNA microarray expression of biologically relevant genes selected from Cluster 1 was validated using qRT-PCR as described in the Section “Materials and Methods.” Levels of mean gene expression were calculated in comparison to the expression of GAPDH. The expression of defensin alpha-1 (A) and defensin alpha-4 (B) were lower in the HCV monoinfected (p = 0.03 and 0.04 with normal, respectively) and HCV MC vasculitis cohorts (p = 0.01 and 0.03 with normal, respectively).