However, although p-MEK staining (ranged from 1+ to 2+) exhibited moderate nuclear staining in all 28 cases of MA, the nuclear staining for p-ERK was negative (15/28, 53.6%) or weakly (1+, 12/28, 42.9%) expressed among the different cases (Fig. 5, Table 5). This evidence concerns the gene MAP2K7 and microtia.