PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - ISABELA J. WASTOWSKI
AU  - PERCIVAL D. SAMPAIO-BARROS
AU  - ELIANE M.I. AMSTALDEN
AU  - GUSTAVO MARTELLI PALOMINO
AU  - JOÃO FRANCISCO MARQUES-NETO
AU  - JANAINA C.O. CRISPIM
AU  - ANA C. BIRAL
AU  - DIANE M. RASSI
AU  - EDGARDO D. CAROSELLA
AU  - PHILIPPE MOREAU
AU  - EDUARDO A. DONADI
TI  - HLA-G Expression in the Skin of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis
AID  - 10.3899/jrheum.080552
DP  - 2009 Jun 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 1230--1234
VI  - 36
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/36/6/1230.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/36/6/1230.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2009 Jun 01; 36
AB  - Objective. To determine HLA-G expression in skin biopsies from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and its association with epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory variables and survival. Methods. Paraffin-embedded skin biopsies obtained from 21 SSc patients (14 limited SSc, 7 diffuse SSc) and from 28 healthy controls were studied. HLA-G expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results. HLA-G molecules were detected in 57% of skin biopsies from patients with SSc (9 from limited SSc, 3 from diffuse SSc), whereas no control sample expressed HLA-G (p = 0.000004). In patients, HLA-G molecules were consistently observed within epidermal and some dermal cells. HLA-G expression was associated with a lower frequency of vascular cutaneous ulcers (p = 0.0004), telangiectasias (p = 0.008), and inflammatory polyarthralgia (p = 0.02). After a 15-year followup, SSc patients who exhibited HLA-G survived longer than patients who did not. Conclusion. HLA-G is expressed in skin biopsies from patients with SSc, and this is associated with a better disease prognosis. This suggests a modulatory role of HLA-G in SSc, as observed in other skin disorders.