Immunobiology of systemic sclerosisThe Immunobiology of Systemic Sclerosis
Section snippets
Methods
We performed a PubMed search using the terms “systemic sclerosis” in the period of 1989 to 2007, restricted to the English Language. This yielded a total of 9099 publications, including 1252 reviews. From this list and based on the abstracts, a total of 328 articles were initially chosen that appeared to highlight recent progress in the pathogenesis of SSc as well as in the use of diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches. A final review of the data in 262 articles regarding the current
Discussion
Recent human studies, animal models, and gene analyses have provided much deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms behind the development of SSc. In review of these collective data, the hallmarks of vascular damage, immunologic activation, and collagen deposition can be traced to 4 major factors: T-cells, fibroblasts, B-cells, and cytokines/chemokines.
T-cells are the major component of the infiltrate in both the lung and the skin of SSc patients, frequently exhibit an activated phenotype,
References (262)
- et al.
Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the skin of patients with systemic scleroderma
J Invest Dermatol
(1991) - et al.
Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with systemic sclerosis
Clin Immunol Immunopathol
(1993) - et al.
Fibroblasts in mechanically stressed collagen lattices assume a “synthetic” phenotype
J Biol Chem
(2001) - et al.
Interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis: comparison of BALF lymphocyte phenotype and DLCO impairment
Respir Med
(1998) - et al.
Immunoregulation of autoimmunity by natural killer T-cells
Hum Immunol
(2005) - et al.
Emerging role of γδ T-cells in health and disease
Blood Rev
(2002) - et al.
γδ receptor bearing T-cells in scleroderma: enhanced interaction with vascular endothelial cells in vitro
Clin Immunol
(1999) - et al.
T-cell lines from systemic sclerosis patients and healthy controls recognize multiple epitopes on DNA topoisomerase I
J Autoimmun
(2006) - et al.
Skewing of the CD8+ T-cell repertoire in the lungs of patients with systemic sclerosis
Hum Immunol
(1996) - et al.
Increased expression of CD40 ligand in activated CD4+ T-lymphocytes of systemic sclerosis patients
J Autoimmun
(2000)