Abstract: Objective To investigate the relationship between the expressions of transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1) and α1(Ⅰ)procollagen(COL1A1) in dermal fibroblasts from the patients with systemic sclerosis(SSc).Methods The expression of COL1A1 mRNA was assessed by in situ hybridization.Western Blotting was used to detect the production of TGF-β1in fibroblasts from either SSc patients or normal controls.Results The mRNA level of COL1A1 was higher in fibroblasts from SSc patients(total optical density was 905.09±20.36)than that from normal controls(354.17±30.89).Meanwhile,there was heterogeneity of COL1A1 mRNA expression in the fibroblasts from both SSc group and normal group.There were more high-COL1A1-expressing fibroblasts in SSc group(27.33%±4.63%),compared with that in control group(3.67%±1.20%).On the other hand,there were less low-COL1A1 mRNA-expressing fibrob-lasts in SSc group(14.33%±4.91%)than that in control group(62.33%±3.53%).In SSc patients,the proportion of low,middle and high COL1A1 mRNA expressing fibroblasts was similar.TGF-β1 production in SSc fibroblasts was similar to that in normal controls.Conclusion The typeⅠcollagen mRNA expression was elevated in SSc fibroblasts,which may be uncorrelated with the TGF-β1.

Key words: Scleroderma,systemic, Fibroblasts, Transforming growth factor beta, Procollagen