Table 4.
A summary of measurements of the ratios of QWB‐based protein bands' GAPDH‐normalized signals.
| Marker | Ratios of protein markers' signal strengths seen in Table 3 measured in (+)TGFβ1 and (−)TGFβ1 conditions in the NS and ST groups (±SD) | Statistical testing of the differences between the (+)TGFβ1/(−)TGFβ1 ratios in the NS and ST groups | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NS, n = 25 | ST, n = 6 | ||
| FN | 5.2 ± 3.3 | 4.5 ± 3.0 | F(1, 30) = 0.22, p = 0.641 |
| COL | 2.6 ± 1.0 | 2.6 ± 1.2 | F(1, 30) = 0.002, p = 0.969 |
| P4H | 1.0 ± 0.6 | 2.0 ± 0.3 | F(1, 30) = 15.9, p < 0.0005 |
| HSP47 | 1.5 ± 0.6 | 1.4 ± 0.4 | F(1, 30) = 0.55, p = 0.464 |
| CTGF | 9.5 ± 7.4 | 7.6 ± 4.4 | F(1, 30) = 0.36, p = 0.554 |
| αSMA | 2.2 ± 1.0 | 1.9 ± 0.6 | F(1, 30) = 0.47, p = 0.498 |
Note: Each ratio was calculated for corresponding proteins produced by the same fibroblasts cultured in the presence or the absence of TGFβ1.
Abbreviations: COL, collagen I; CTGF, connective tissue growth factor; FN, fibronectin; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase; HSP47, heat shock protein 47; NS, nonstiff patients; P4H, a catalytic unit of prolyl 4‐hydroxylase; QWB, quantitative Western blot; ST, stiff patients; TGFβ1, transforming growth factor β1; αSMA, α smooth muscle actin.