Figure 1. Relative RARβ messenger RNA (mRNA) Expression in Normal Skin, cfVLS, caVLS, and LS-VSCC Tissues Measured by RT-qPCR^a.

caVLS indicates cancer-associated vulvar lichen sclerosus; cfVLS, cancer-free vulvar lichen sclerosus; LS-VSCC, lichen sclerosus-associated vulvar squamous cell carcinoma; RARβ, retinoic acid receptor β; RT-qPCR, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Relative expression was calculated with the ΔΔCt method. Data are expressed as the ratio of the number of copies of the target gene relative to GAPDH. The results are expressed as a relative fold change (2^-ΔΔCt) over the value of normal skin specimens. The bar graphs represent relative fold change (mean [standard error of the mean], for n = 20).

^aLS-VSCC vs normal skin (P < .001), vs cfVLS (P = .005), and vs caVLS (P = .001), respectively.