The infiltration of Foxp3+ cells in the superficial and deep dermis of early SSc patients (superficial dermis: 10.5 ± 1.6 cells; deep dermis: 6.9 ± 1.7 cells) was significantly higher than that in patients with late SSc (superficial dermis: 2.2 ± 1.3 cells; deep dermis: 1.2 ± 0.8 cells, P < 0.01) and healthy controls (superficial dermis: 0.8 ± 0.4 cells; deep dermis: 0.8 ± 0.4 cells, P < 0.01). This evidence concerns the gene FOXP3 and systemic sclerosis.