TGFB1 and systemic sclerosis: Because monocytes and alternatively-activated macrophages are linked to fibrosis and SSc [5, 6], and the likely importance of TGFβ for SSc phenotype, we investigated in this paper the latency of TGFβ in SSc blood and the expression of TGFβ-activating integrins on monocytes, to identify the role this cell type can play in excessive TGFβ signaling in SSc.