Antiendothelial Cell Antibodies Induce Apoptosis of Bone Marrow Endothelial Progenitors in Systemic Sclerosis

Abstract

Our results showed that apoptosis in patients with SSc involves the source compartment of endothelial progenitors and correlates with AECA activity. These findings support the hypothesis that AECA may play a pathogenetic role by affecting the bone marrow EPC machinery that should repair the peripheral vascular lesions.