The infiltration of Foxp3+ cells in the epidermis of lesional skin of early SSc patients (6.5 ± 1.2 cells) was significantly greater than the number observed in skin from late SSc patients (2.2 ± 1.5 cells, P < 0.01) and healthy controls (1.0 ± 0.7 cells, P < 0.01; Figure 2C, D). Here, FOXP3 is linked to systemic sclerosis.