In addition, the transcription levels of COL1A2 and COL3A1 in SSc patients were also markedly up-regulated compared with those in normal controls about 8-fold and 7-fold, respectively (24.1 ± 2.0 vs. 3.1 ± 0.2 and 41.4 ± 3.8 vs. 6.0 ± 0.5, P = 0.0365 and P = 0.063, respectively; Fig. 1E and 1F). This evidence concerns the gene COL3A1 and systemic sclerosis.