SERPINH1 and systemic sclerosis: In a previous study reported by Fujimoto M and his colleagues that the HSP47 antibody was elevated in the serum of SSc patients (Fujimoto et al., 2004), however, the expression level of HSP47 protein in the serum was unclear, and our study found that an elevated HSP47 protein level was observed in the plasma of SSc patients, at the same time, the mRNA level of HSP47 was also found elevated in the PBMC from SSc, suggesting HSP47 might become a serum marker of the fibrosis activity of SSc.