Elevated Circulatory Levels of Microparticles Are Associated to Lung Fibrosis and Vasculopathy During Systemic Sclerosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Microparticles (MPs) are vesicular structures that derive from multiple cellular sources. MPs play important roles in intercellular communication, regulation of cell signaling or initiation of enzymatic processes. While MPs were characterized in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patients, their contribution to SSc pathogenesis remains unknown. Our aim was to investigate the potential role of MPs in SSc pathophysiology and their impact on tissue fibrosis.

Methods

Ninety-six SSc patients and 37 sex-matched healthy donors (HD) were enrolled in this study in order to quantify and phenotype their plasmatic MPs by flow cytometry. The ability of MPs purified from SSc patients and HD controls to modulate fibroblast's extra-cellular matrix genes expression was evaluated in vitro

SUBMITTER: Leleu D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7645042 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature