Figure 1

Detection of myofibroblasts in dcSSc skin. Cryosections from (a) normal and (b-f) dcSSc skin were stained with an antibody against α-SMA. In normal skin, α-SMA staining was restricted primarily to microvascular pericytes enveloping capillaries ((a) arrows), sweat glands ((a) black arrowhead) and smooth muscle cells of erector pili muscles ((a) white arrowhead). In dcSSc samples, α-SMA-expressing myofibroblasts were detected in the dermis ((b,c,d) black arrows). Myofibroblasts were predominantly detected in the lower reticular dermis of SSc skin ((c,d) black arrows) while interstitial cells in the papillary dermis did not express α-SMA ((c,d) white arrows). In reticular dermal layers, α-SMA staining was also detected in the perivascular region ((c,d) black arrowheads) while in the papillary dermal layers α-SMA immunostaining was restricted to microvessels ((c) white arrowhead). In (e) non-lesional and (f) late stage dcSSc, the distribution of α-SMA was similar to that seen in normal skin. Original magnification (a,b,e,f) ×10, and (c,d) × 20. α-SMA, alpha smooth muscle actin; dcSSc, diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis.