Mining estrogen microarray data: an approach using contrast data analysis

Estrogen is a steroid hormone, secreted by ovarian antral follicles, which regulates divergent functions of ovarian granulosa cells ranging from differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation. Cellular signals of estrogen are transduced by its cohort receptors. Estrogen receptors belong to nuclear receptor superfamily and comprise two subtypes, namely, estrogen receptor alpha (ER-a) and estrogen receptor beta (ER-ß).