Actually, we found that both mRNA and protein levels of VEGFR-3/Flt-4 were strongly downregulated in LMVECs challenged with SSc serum, compared with healthy serum-treated cells, which suggests that an impaired VEGFR-3/Flt-4-mediated signaling could be largely responsible for the observed dysfunctional lymphangiogenesis. Here, FLT4 is linked to systemic sclerosis.