RUNX2 and systemic sclerosis: Table 3 and Additional file 5 indicate an overall perturbation of signal transductions mediated by small GTPase proteins, and down-regulation of MAP4K in SSc-MVECs, and of genes involved in nucleosome and chromatin remodeling and in regulation of transcription, including down-regulation of GATA6, which controls transcription of von Willebrand factor, and of RUNX2, which controls endothelial cell migration and invasion.