Several of the highly upregulated genes in cluster 4 were recognizable as genes previously shown to correlate with the severity of SSc disease, such as THBS1 (refs. 41,42), TNC43, CTGF42, THY1 (ref. 36), CDH11 (ref. 32), and CCL2 (ref. 44, Supplementary Data 8). The gene discussed is THY1; the disease is systemic sclerosis.