Figure 2

Comparison of TLR3 upregulation by IFNα in healthy control and systemic sclerosis (SSc), or scleroderma, dermal fibroblasts. (A) Dermal fibroblasts were stimulated for 24 hours with 50 ng/mL IFNα, and TLR3 was determined by performing qRT-PCR assays. The magnitude of induction of TLR3 expression by IFNα was significantly greater in dermal fibroblasts from patients with SSc (n = 11) than in those from healthy controls (n = 25; P = 0.003). (B) SSc dermal fibroblasts have a greater magnitude of upregulation of TLR3 with IFN at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 ng/mL (n = 4 in each group; *P < 0.05 (Wilcoxon signed-rank test)).