The roles of chemokines in the development of systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc, scleroderma) is an autoimmune disease characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition and vascular injury in the skin and internal organs. Although the pathogenesis remains unclear, Raynaud's phenomenon, a kind of ischemia-reperfusion, usually precedes the development of skin sclerosis. Therefore, it is possible that endothelial cell injury caused by recurring ischemia-reperfusion induces inflammatory cell infiltration and subsequent cytokine production, leading to the development of tissue fibrosis. During this process, chemokines likely have important roles via mediating chemotaxis and activation of leukocytes, result in the interaction between leukocytes and fibroblasts. While chemokine abnormalities of SSc have been reported in amounts of literatures, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) and its receptor, CCR2, likely have the most critical role for the development of SSc. Here recent data will be reviewed on the potential role of chemokines and their receptors in SSc.