While Nab2 expression was dramatically up-regulated in epithelial cells in scleroderma skin biopsies, consistent with activated TGF-β signaling in the fibrotic milieu, dermal fibroblasts from biopsies that were strongly immunopositive for Egr-1 and phospho-Smad2 showed a paucity of Nab2 expression. Here, SMAD2 is linked to scleroderma.