CCN2 and systemic sclerosis: In line with a previous report, LPA treatment increased the mRNA expression levels of CTGF and IL-6 in the healthy and SSc skin fibroblasts at 6 h after LPA treatment (Fig. 2), whereas the COL1A1 and COL1A2 mRNA expression levels were not affected by LPA up to 48 h (data not shown).