Further, the analysis was restricted to the TGF-β-associated genes and the miRNAs that regulate their expression levels in both skin specimens and SSc fibroblasts: SMAD7 (miR-21 predicted target), SMAD3 (miR-145 predicted target), and COL1A1 (miR-29b predicted target). This evidence concerns the gene COL1A1 and systemic sclerosis.