Scleroderma Research Paper

926 Words2 Pages

Abstract Scleroderma (SSc) or systemic sclerosis is a chronic connective tissue disease generally classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Many features of SSc are well known including inflammation, small-vessel vasculopathy, and overexpression of Extracellular Matrix (EMC) protein and fibrosis of the skin, lungs, and other internal organs. This study looks at different molecules that play important roles in the biological pathways in Scleroderma. Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor-gamma (PPAR-ᵞ) is involved in regulation of fibrosis and adipogenesis in SSc. PPAR-γ has been found to be low in several cell types in SSc patients and African American (AA) donors. It is believed that healthy AA donor’s monocytes have similar characteristics to SSc patients’ monocytes. High levels of Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGFβ), Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interleukin-13 (IL-13) levels are responsible for the decreasing of PPAR-ᵞ expression in monocytes isolated from SSc patients and healthy AA donors. Caveolin-1inhibits pro-fibrotic monocytes functions by up-regulation of PPAR-ᵞ and inhibition of monocyte migration. Treatments of monocytes derived from SSc patients …show more content…

The word “scleroderma” comes from two Greek words: “sclero” meaning hard, and “derma” meaning skin. Hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of this disease. Many features of scleroderma are well known including inflammation, fibrosis of the skin, lungs, and other internal organs and small-vessel vasculopathy. Currently in the United States, about 500,000 people are diagnosed with Scleroderma and around the world 2.5 million are also diagnosed (Barnes and Mayes 2012). Scleroderma is a rare but incurable disease and patients with this disease usually have an eleven year life span after diagnostics. (Mayes et. al

More about Scleroderma Research Paper

Open Document