Genome-wide estimation of gender differences in the gene expression of human livers: Statistical design and analysis
2006

Gender Differences in Gene Expression of Human Livers

Sample size: 18 publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Delongchamp Robert R, Velasco Cruz, Dial Stacey, Harris Angela J

Primary Institution: National Center for Toxicological Research

Hypothesis

Are there gender differences in gene expression in human livers?

Conclusion

Observed gender differences in gene expression were small and difficult to identify specifically.

Supporting Evidence

  • 8% of expressed genes differed by gender.
  • False discovery rates exceed 80% for any set of genes selected based on p-values.
  • Most observed fold changes were less than 1.55.

Takeaway

The study looked at how male and female livers express genes differently, but found that the differences are very small.

Methodology

The study used cDNA arrays to analyze gene expression in liver samples from 9 males and 9 females.

Potential Biases

Potential for excessive false positive rates due to the number of genes evaluated.

Limitations

The ability to identify specific genes with gender differences is poor due to high false discovery rates.

Participant Demographics

9 male and 9 female liver samples, age range 25-58, with some information on race and habits.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.12

Confidence Interval

95 % CI: 7 % to 9 %

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2105-6-S2-S13

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