Figure 7

Quantitative mRNA and protein expression analysis of VCAM1 and its localization in tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR (A) was performed with the Light Cycler Fast Start DNA SYBR Green kit. Densitometric analysis of immunoblots (B) were performed using the ImageJ program provided by the National Institutes of Health. Optic densities were corrected for the individual background noise and the matching equal loading densities. Each column represents one patient. For each entity, stellate cells from four different patients were evaluated. The organ specific expression of VCAM1 is depicted in the last two columns of each graph. Tissues of primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (C, 200×, D,50×), chronic pancreatitis (E, 200×), liver cirrhosis (F, 200×) and liver metastasis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (G, 200×, H, 50×) were immunostained with a specific antibody against VCAM1. Arrows show the stellate cells in the fibrotic parts of the tissues. Negative controls are shown as insets.