Absence of VE-cadherin expression and subsequentdefective angiogenic activity of SSc-EC motivated usto assess the effect of VE-cadherin signaling on MMPsexpression, which play multiple roles in angiogenesis (35).Kiran et al. (18) reported a reciprocal relationship between VE-cadherin and MMPs during angiogenesis. Here, CDH5 is linked to systemic sclerosis.