Figure 3
Inter-individual mRNA expression variances in the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with normal control (NC). The graph shows genes affected by significant intra-group inter-individual mRNA expression variances in RA compared with NC (P ≤ 0.05; Bonferroni/Holm corrected Brown-Forsythe version of the Levene test; labeled in red) in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) TGF-β signaling pathway. Among the three TGF-β family sub-pathways, the classical TGF-β sub-pathway is significantly affected by gene expression variances (P ≤ 0.15, χ2 test; indicated in red). TGF-β-regulated cellular processes with potential influence on or relevance for RA pathogenesis (for example, angiogenesis and cell survival) are labeled in blue.