These results indicate that at least the majority if not all TG2 molecules that interacted with decorin in the keloid fibroblast culture medium were covalently coupled to the core protein of this PG, thus forming complexes that were resistant to the dissociation effect of the components that were present in the SDS-PAGE sample buffer such as the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and DTT. The gene discussed is DCN; the disease is keloid.