Lack of increased expression of cell surface markers for circulating fibrocyte progenitors in limited scleroderma

The aetiology and pathogenesis of scleroderma is incompletely understood. Recently, a cell called the fibrocyte has been shown to be derived from circulating monocytes with the ability to produce collagen. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in the cell surface characteristics of circulating fibrocyte progenitors (monocytes) in patients with limited scleroderma compared to controls. A case-control study was performed in eight patients with limited scleroderma, which were matched with eight controls. Three-colour flow cytometry was used to assess the relative expression of cell surface markers. Statistical analysis then compared the relative expression between the two groups. In this preliminary study, there were no significant differences in the expression of circulating monocyte surface molecules involved with cell transformation, function, or migration presumed to give rise to fibrocytes, in a population of patients with limited scleroderma. Various explanations for the results are discussed.