Skin was immunohistochemically assessed to identify CD68, CD3, CD20 and CD138-positive (+) cells in clinically affected and unaffected skin in 28 patients with SSc.
These results obtained through a large cohort of European caucasian patients with SSc do not support the contribution of CD19, CD20, CD22, CD24 variants to the genetic susceptibility of SSc.
Additionally, recent studies revealed a possible beneficial effect of anti-human CD20 antibody (Rituximab) therapy on skin fibrosis and lung involvement in SSc patients.
Analysis of lymphocyte populations in scleroderma skin biopsies by immunohistochemistry suggest the B lymphocyte signature observed on our arrays is from CD20+ B cells.