title: Systemic and cell type-specific gene expression patterns in scleroderma skin.
abstract: We used DNA microarrays representing >12,000 human genes to characterize gene expression patterns in skin biopsies from individuals with a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis with diffuse scleroderma. We found consistent differences in the patterns of gene expression between skin biopsies from individuals with scleroderma and those from normal, unaffected individuals. The biopsies from affected individuals showed nearly indistinguishable patterns of gene expression in clinically affected and clinically unaffected tissue, even though these were clearly distinguishable from the patterns found in similar tissue from unaffected individuals. Genes characteristically expressed in endothelial cells, B lymphocytes, and fibroblasts showed differential expression between scleroderma and normal biopsies. Analysis of lymphocyte populations in scleroderma skin biopsies by immunohistochemistry suggest the B lymphocyte signature observed on our arrays is from CD20+ B cells. These results provide evidence that scleroderma has systemic manifestations that affect multiple cell types and suggests genes that could be used as potential markers for the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Whitfield
authors.forename: Deborah R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Finlay
authors.forename: John Isaac
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Olga G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Troyanskaya
authors.forename: Jen-Tsan
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pergamenschikov
authors.forename: Timothy H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: McCalmont
authors.forename: Patrick O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Botstein
authors.forename: M Kari
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000378:metabolism; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045743:Scleroderma, Diffuse / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018951:Antigens, CD20