Life span of skin fibroblasts in patients with systemic sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
It remains unknown whether the life span of systemic sclerosis (SSc) skin fibroblasts (FB) and that of normals are the same or not, though SSc skin FB have been shown to present abnormalities such as elevated collagen synthesis.


OBJECTIVE
To find out whether the life span of SSc skin FB and that of normals are the same or not.


METHODS
Cell generation and colony-forming efficiency were calculated in 10 normal and 7 SSc FB, and total life spans were studied.


RESULTS
Colony-forming efficiency decreased from 30 to 5% until the cells reached senescence. The cell generations of normal and SSc FB showed no significant difference.


CONCLUSIONS
SSc FB is senescent and may indicate that the senescence of SSc FB is independent of its abnormal features.
Ohtsuka
T
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Department of Dermatology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology* / Q000503:physiopathology