Hepatic OPN expression correlated with hepatic TGFβ expression, portal space neutrophils and the serum OPN level.

<p><b>A</b>) Hepatic OPN and TGFβ1 expression levels were analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR in 34 alcoholic patients from the estimation group without (<b>F0</b>) (N = 6) or with mild (<b>F1</b>) (N = 14), moderate (<b>F2</b>) (N = 6) or advanced (<b>F3/4</b>) (N = 8) fibrosis. The mRNA levels were normalized to the mRNA levels of RPLP0. Results are expressed relative to the expression levels in F0 patients and expressed as means ± SEM. The Kruskal-Wallis test compared the 4 groups F0, F1, F2 and F3/F4: OPN, <i>P</i> = 0.037; TGFβ1, <i>P</i> = 0.002. Mann Whitney test compared the two groups: &, <i>P</i>≤0.011, compared with F0; #, <i>P</i>≤0.029, compared with F1; $, <i>P</i> = 0.008, compared with F2. <b>B</b>) Correlation between hepatic OPN gene expression (ΔCt) and either the hepatic TGFβ1 expression level (ΔCt) or the serum OPN level were analyzed using the Spearman's rank correlation test. <b>C</b>) Correlation between the number of portal space neutophils (Cf. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0035612#s2" target="_blank">Materials and methods</a>) and serum OPN level or hepatic OPN gene expression (ΔCt) in 11 alcoholic patients (2F0/3F1/1F2/5F4) were analyzed using the Spearman's rank correlation test.