Increased but imbalanced expression of VEGF and its receptors has no positive effect on angiogenesis in systemic sclerosis skin.

Abstract

The imbalanced expression of VEGF and its vascular receptors suggest that the compensatory efforts to angiogenesis fail in SSc, in part due to insufficient local production of VEGF, which was low compared to VEGFR expression. This is compatible with the recent observations on the lack of alpha V beta 3+ newly formed blood vessels in SSc skin. Since microvascular angiogenic stimuli normally induce first VEGF and then VEGFR, these findings also suggest that the angiogenic cascade is turned on, but there is a defect in the finalization of its effects. Normalization of angiogenic cascade in SSc could provide a future therapeutic target.