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pubmed:abstractText |
One of the main features of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is vascular damage, the mechanism of which is not understood. The aim of this study was to investigate if complement (C) regulatory molecules, membrane cofactor protein (MCP), decay-accelerating factor (DAF), and CD59, which normally protect endothelial cells from damage by autologous C, are absent or down-regulated in vascular endothelium of patients with SSc. A deficiency or persistent down-regulation of the above molecules is likely to render vascular endothelium of these patients susceptible to damage by physiologically or pathologically activated C. From this point of view, expression of MCP, DAF, and CD59 was tested on endothelium of skin of normal subjects and patients with diffuse and limited forms of SSc.
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