SPARC and systemic sclerosis: Accordingly, we found an increased expression of transcripts that play a role in ECM organization including laminin gamma 1 (LAMC1), collagen, type XIX (COL19A1), bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6), cystatin C (CST3), and secreted protein, acidic, cysteine-rich (SPARC), a secreted protein that is overexpressed in the fibroblasts of skin biopsy from patients with SSc (41).