Volume 68 Numbers 4 & 5 September / October 2001	back to contents

Immunopathogenesis of Scleroderma - Evolving Concepts	233–242
Allen N. Sapadin, M.D., Adam C. Esser, M.D., and Raul Fleischmajer, M.D.
Address correspondence to Allen N. Sapadin, M.D., Department of Dermatology, Box 1047, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 East 100th Street, New York, NY 10029.

ABSTRACT

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a connective tissue disease which may affect various organ systems including skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system and kidneys. While the etiology is not clear, it is currently believed that scleroderma may represent an autoimmune response to an unknown antigen. In this regard, there is evidence that both humoral and cellular immunity may play roles. The pathophysiology is complex and consists of three major features: (1) vascular damage; (2) mononuclear cellular infiltrates; and (3) massive deposition of newly synthesized connective tissue, mainly collagen. The major pathologic features of scleroderma and the roles of humoral and cellular immunity in its pathogenesis are reviewed and summarized.

KEY WORDS
Scleroderma, systemic sclerosis, adhesion molecules, cytokines

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