Skip to main content
Fig. 1 | Arthritis Research & Therapy

Fig. 1

From: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation promotes connective tissue remodeling in systemic sclerosis patients

Fig. 1

Clinical and histological aspects associated with skin fibrosis in SSc patients undergoing AHSCT. a Modified Rodnan’s skin score (mRSS) assessment. The boundaries of the boxes indicate the 25th and 75th percentiles; lines within the boxes indicate the median and the whiskers mark the 10th and the 90th percentiles. Plots show mean ± standard deviation (SD). ****p < 0.0001 comparing post-transplantation and baseline values. b Skin thickness measured in skin biopsies stained with H&E (μm) before and after AHSCT. Mean ± standard error of mean (SEM); ****p < 0.0001. c, d Photomicrographs from a representative systemic sclerosis patient, before (c) and after (d) AHSCT. c Thickening and hyalinization of connective tissue of the deep dermis, subcutaneous fat, and muscular fascia. Frequent atrophy of adnexal structures, thickening and luminal narrowing of small vessels, blunting of the dermis-subcutis interface, and diminished elastic tissue (H&E, × 20 magnification). d Reduction in collagen deposits in the dermis and higher frequency of cutaneous annexes in the dermis (H&E, × 20 magnification). e Collagen density (mean ± SME) in SSc skin biopsies stained with picrosirius red (% of the marked area), before and after AHSCT; *p < 0.05. f, g Photomicrographs from a representative systemic sclerosis patient, before (f) and after (g) AHSCT (red fibers, Sirius red staining, × 5 magnification). f Increased deposition of collagen in the dermis. g Reduction of collagen deposits in the dermis

Back to article page