As shown in Figure 2,TIMP-4 serum levels were considerably higher in SSc patients with elevated PASPmeasurements (2486 ± 1190 pg/mL, range 850–4961 pg/mL) thanthe remaining patients (1792 ± 909 pg/mL, range 380–4862 pg/mL, P = .003).Notably, after excluding the 37 patients with PASP ≥40 mm Hg from thewhole SSc group, there were no significant differences in TIMP-4 levels betweenthe control group and patients with diffuse (1767 ± 929 pg/mL, n = 53) orlimited SSc (1875 ± 862 pg/mL, n = 16), or patients with lung fibrosis(1916 ± 918 pg/mL, n = 24), or those without(1726 ± 908 pg/mL, n = 45). This evidence concerns the gene TIMP4 and pulmonary fibrosis.