Fig. 1

Gene and protein expression of myofibroblast phenotype markers and ECM macromolecules in SSc and HS fibrocytes. A Representative image of fibrocytes isolated from SSc patients evaluated by phase-contrast light microscopy at × 10 magnification. Fibrocytes (indicated by black arrows) appear as elongated cells characterized by a spindle-shaped morphology. B Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) of the gene expression of αSMA, S100A4, COL1, and FN in cultures of fibrocytes isolated from 18 SSc patients and 5 healthy subjects maintained in normal growth medium without any treatment. Gene expression corresponds to the expression level (fold-increase) of the target gene of SSc fibrocytes compared to that of HS fibrocytes, taken as the unit value by definition [18]. C Evaluation by Western blotting and related densitometric analysis of αSMA, S100A4 COL1, FN, and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in cultures of fibrocytes isolated from 12 SSc patients and 5 healthy subjects maintained in normal growth medium without any treatment. For each sample, the values of αSMA, S100A4, COL1, and FN are normalized to that of the corresponding GAPDH. The resulting value of each sample of SSc fibrocytes is compared to that isolated from HS fibrocytes (taken as the unit value). Data are reported as median with range