Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Scleroderma - news to tell

  • Mini-Review
  • Published:
Archives of Dermatological Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Scleroderma is a chronic fibrosing disease, in which an early inflammatory reaction precedes the fibrotic response. Systematic analysis of the pathways involved in the development of the disease together with information derived from novel animal models have helped to better understand the mechanisms that trigger and sustain fibrotic reactions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Abraham DJ, Varga J (2005) Scleroderma: from cell and molecular mechanisms to disease models. Trends Immunol 26(11):587–595

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Adams KM, Nelson JL (2004) Microchimerism: an investigative frontier in autoimmunity and transplantation. Jama 291(9):1127–1131

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Arnett FC, Cho M, Chatterjee S, Aguilar MB, Reveille JD, Mayes MD (2001) Familial occurrence frequencies and relative risks for systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) in three United States cohorts. Arthritis Rheum 44(6):1359–1362

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Asano Y, Ihn H, Yamane K, Jinnin M, Mimura Y, Tamaki K (2005) Involvement of alphavbeta5 integrin-mediated activation of latent transforming growth factor beta1 in autocrine transforming growth factor beta signaling in systemic sclerosis fibroblasts. Arthritis Rheum 52(9):2897–2905

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Baroni SS, Santillo M, Bevilacqua F, Luchetti M, Spadoni T, Mancini M, Fraticelli P, Sambo P, Funaro A, Kazlauskas A, Avvedimento EV, Gabrielli A (2006) Stimulatory autoantibodies to the PDGF receptor in systemic sclerosis. N Engl J Med 354(25):2667–2676

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Brinckmann J, Neess CM, Gaber Y, Sobhi H, Notbohm H, Hunzelmann N, Fietzek PP, Muller PK, Risteli J, Gebker R, Scharffetter-Kochanek K (2001) Different pattern of collagen cross-links in two sclerotic skin diseases: lipodermatosclerosis and circumscribed scleroderma. J Invest Dermatol 117(2):269–273

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Carulli MT, Ong VH, Ponticos M, Shiwen X, Abraham DJ, Black CM, Denton CP (2005) Chemokine receptor CCR2 expression by systemic sclerosis fibroblasts: evidence for autocrine regulation of myofibroblast differentiation. Arthritis Rheum 52(12):3772–3782

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Crilly A, Hamilton J, Clark CJ, Jardine A, Madhok R (2002) Analysis of transforming growth factor beta1 gene polymorphisms in patients with systemic sclerosis. Ann Rheum Dis 61(8):678–681

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Denton CP, Black CM (2004) Scleroderma–clinical and pathological advances. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 18(3):271–290

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Denton CP, Humbert M, Rubin L, Black CM (2006) Bosentan treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension related to connective tissue disease: a subgroup analysis of the pivotal clinical trials and their open-label extensions. Ann Rheum Dis 65(10):1336–1340

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Distler JH, Jungel A, Caretto D, Schulze-Horsel U, Kowal-Bielecka O, Gay RE, Michel BA, Muller-Ladner U, Kalden JR, Gay S, Distler O (2006) Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 released from glycosaminoglycans mediates its profibrotic effects in systemic sclerosis via the release of interleukin-4 from T cells. Arthritis Rheum 54(1):214–225

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Eckes B, Zweers MC, Zhang ZG, Hallinger R, Mauch C, Aumailley M, Krieg T (2006) Mechanical Tension and Integrin alpha2beta1 Regulate Fibroblast Functions. J Invest Dermatol 126(Suppl):66–72

    Google Scholar 

  13. Galindo M, Santiago B, Rivero M, Rullas J, Alcami J, Pablos JL (2001) Chemokine expression by systemic sclerosis fibroblasts: abnormal regulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 expression. Arthritis Rheum 44(6):1382–1386

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Gardner H, Shearstone JR, Bandaru R, Crowell T, Lynes M, Trojanowska M, Pannu J, Smith E, Jablonska S, Blaszczyk M, Tan FK, Mayes MD (2006) Gene profiling of scleroderma skin reveals robust signatures of disease that are imperfectly reflected in the transcript profiles of explanted fibroblasts. Arthritis Rheum 54(6):1961–1973

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Harris ML, Rosen A (2003) Autoimmunity in scleroderma: the origin, pathogenetic role, and clinical significance of autoantibodies. Curr Opin Rheumatol 15(6):778–784

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hasegawa M, Fujimoto M, Kikuchi K, Takehara K (1997) Elevated serum levels of interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-10, and IL-13 in patients with systemic sclerosis. J Rheumatol 24(2):328–332

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Hata R, Akai J, Kimura A, Ishikawa O, Kuwana M, Shinkai H (2000) Association of functional microsatellites in the human type I collagen alpha2 chain (COL1A2) gene with systemic sclerosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 272(1):36–40

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hinz B (2006) Masters and servants of the force: the role of matrix adhesions in myofibroblast force perception and transmission. Eur J Cell Biol 85(3–4):175–181

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Horwitz DA (2006) Transforming growth factor-beta: taking control of T cells’ life and death. Immunity 25(3):399–401

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Igarashi A, Nashiro K, Kikuchi K, Sato S, Ihn H, Fujimoto M, Grotendorst GR, Takehara K (1996) Connective tissue growth factor gene expression in tissue sections from localized scleroderma, keloid, and other fibrotic skin disorders. J Invest Dermatol 106(4):729–733

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Isogai Z, Ono RN, Ushiro S, Keene DR, Chen Y, Mazzieri R, Charbonneau NL, Reinhardt DP, Rifkin DB, Sakai LY (2003) Latent transforming growth factor beta-binding protein 1 interacts with fibrillin and is a microfibril-associated protein. J Biol Chem 278(4):2750–2757

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Jimenez SA, Artlett CM (2005) Microchimerism and systemic sclerosis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 17(1):86–90

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Jinnin M, Ihn H, Yamane K, Tamaki K (2004) Interleukin-13 stimulates the transcription of the human alpha2(I) collagen gene in human dermal fibroblasts. J Biol Chem 279(40):41783–41791

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kawakami T, Ihn H, Xu W, Smith E, LeRoy C, Trojanowska M (1998) Increased expression of TGF-beta receptors by scleroderma fibroblasts: evidence for contribution of autocrine TGF-beta signaling to scleroderma phenotype. J Invest Dermatol 110(1):47–51

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kessler D, Dethlefsen S, Haase I, Plomann M, Hirche F, Krieg T, Eckes B (2001) Fibroblasts in mechanically stressed collagen lattices assume a “synthetic” phenotype. J Biol Chem 276(39):36575–36585

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kulkarni AB, Huh CG, Becker D, Geiser A, Lyght M, Flanders KC, Roberts AB, Sporn MB, Ward JM, Karlsson S (1993) Transforming growth factor beta 1 null mutation in mice causes excessive inflammatory response and early death. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 90(2):770–774

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Langholz O, Rockel D, Mauch C, Kozlowska E, Bank I, Krieg T, Eckes B (1995) Collagen and collagenase gene expression in three-dimensional collagen lattices are differentially regulated by alpha 1 beta 1 and alpha 2 beta 1 integrins. J Cell Biol 131(6 Pt 2):1903–1915

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. LeRoy EC (1974) Increased collagen synthesis by scleroderma skin fibroblasts in vitro: a possible defect in the regulation or activation of the scleroderma fibroblast. J Clin Invest 54(4):880–889

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. LeRoy EC, Black C, Fleischmajer R, Jablonska S, Krieg T, Medsger TA Jr, Rowell N, Wollheim F (1988) Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis): classification, subsets and pathogenesis. J Rheumatol 15(2):202–205

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. LeRoy EC, Medsger TA Jr (2001) Criteria for the classification of early systemic sclerosis. J Rheumatol 28(7):1573–1576

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Ong VH, Evans LA, Shiwen X, Fisher IB, Rajkumar V, Abraham DJ, Black CM, Denton CP (2003) Monocyte chemoattractant protein 3 as a mediator of fibrosis: Overexpression in systemic sclerosis and the type 1 tight-skin mouse. Arthritis Rheum 48(7):1979–1991

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Pannu J, Gardner H, Shearstone JR, Smith E, Trojanowska M (2006) Increased levels of transforming growth factor beta receptor type I and up-regulation of matrix gene program: A model of scleroderma. Arthritis Rheum 54(9):3011–3021

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ruzek MC, Jha S, Ledbetter S, Richards SM, Garman RD (2004) A modified model of graft-versus-host-induced systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) exhibits all major aspects of the human disease. Arthritis Rheum 50(4):1319–1331

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Shi-Wen X, Rodriguez-Pascual F, Lamas S, Holmes A, Howat S, Pearson JD, Dashwood MR, du Bois RM, Denton CP, Black CM, Abraham DJ, Leask A (2006) Constitutive ALK5-independent c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation contributes to endothelin-1 overexpression in pulmonary fibrosis: evidence of an autocrine endothelin loop operating through the endothelin A and B receptors. Mol Cell Biol 26(14):5518–5527

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Siracusa LD, McGrath R, Ma Q, Moskow JJ, Manne J, Christner PJ, Buchberg AM, Jimenez SA (1996) A tandem duplication within the fibrillin 1 gene is associated with the mouse tight skin mutation. Genome Res 6(4):300–313

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Sonnylal S, Denton CP, Zheng B, Keene DR, He R, Adams HP, Vanpelt CS, Geng YJ, Deng JM, Behringer RR, de Crombrugghe B (2006) Postnatal induction of transforming growth factor beta signaling in fibroblasts of mice recapitulates clinical, histologic, and biochemical features of scleroderma. Arthritis Rheum 56(1):334–344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Tan FK, Wang N, Kuwana M, Chakraborty R, Bona CA, Milewicz DM, Arnett FC (2001) Association of fibrillin 1 single-nucleotide polymorphism haplotypes with systemic sclerosis in Choctaw and Japanese populations. Arthritis Rheum 44(4):893–901

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Tan FK, Tercero GM, Arnett FC, Wang N, Chakraborty R (2003) Examination of the possible role of biologically relevant genes around FBN1 in systemic sclerosis in the Choctaw population. Arthritis Rheum 48(11):3295–3296

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Tan FK, Hildebrand BA, Lester MS, Stivers DN, Pounds S, Zhou X, Wallis DD, Milewicz DM, Reveille JD, Mayes MD, Jin L, Arnett FC Jr (2005) Classification analysis of the transcriptosome of nonlesional cultured dermal fibroblasts from systemic sclerosis patients with early disease. Arthritis Rheum 52(3):865–876

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Tomasek JJ, Gabbiani G, Hinz B, Chaponnier C, Brown RA (2002) Myofibroblasts and mechano-regulation of connective tissue remodelling. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 3(5):349–363

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Trojanowska M (2004) What did we learn by studying scleroderma fibroblasts?. Clin Exp Rheumatol 22(3 Suppl 33):S59–S63

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Whitfield ML, Finlay DR, Murray JI, Troyanskaya OG, Chi JT, Pergamenschikov A, McCalmont TH, Brown PO, Botstein D, Connolly MK (2003) Systemic and cell type-specific gene expression patterns in scleroderma skin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 100(21):12319–12324

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Wollheim FA (2005) Classification of systemic sclerosis. Visions and reality. Rheumatology (Oxford) 44(10):1212–1216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Wynn TA (2004) Fibrotic disease and the T(H)1/T(H)2 paradigm. Nat Rev Immunol 4(8):583–594

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Yamakage A, Kikuchi K, Smith EA, LeRoy EC, Trojanowska M (1992) Selective upregulation of platelet-derived growth factor alpha receptors by transforming growth factor beta in scleroderma fibroblasts. J Exp Med 175(5):1227–1234

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Yamamoto T, Takagawa S, Katayama I, Yamazaki K, Hamazaki Y, Shinkai H, Nishioka K (1999) Animal model of sclerotic skin. I: Local injections of bleomycin induce sclerotic skin mimicking scleroderma. J Invest Dermatol 112(4):456–462

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Zhang Y, McCormick LL, Desai SR, Wu C, Gilliam AC (2002) Murine sclerodermatous graft-versus-host disease, a model for human scleroderma: cutaneous cytokines, chemokines, and immune cell activation. J Immunol 168(6):3088–3098

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Zhou L, Askew D, Wu C, Gilliam AC (2007) Cutaneous gene expression by DNA microarray in murine slerodermatous graft-versus-host disease, a model for human scleroderma. J Invest Dermatol 127(2):281–292

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Work on scleroderma in the Department of Dermatology is supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung through the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma (01GM0310), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through KR558 and SFB 589 and Actelion Deutschland (TPL-532-MEN-DE-V01-2005-07). We wish to thank Mrs. Angela Fehr and Barbara Damm for excellent assistance in managing the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma (www.sklerodermie.info).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Krieg.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Eckes, B., Hunzelmann, N., Moinzadeh, P. et al. Scleroderma - news to tell. Arch Dermatol Res 299, 139–144 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-007-0756-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-007-0756-7

Keywords

Navigation