IL13 and systemic sclerosis: For instance, specific serum autoantibodies and pro-fibrotic cytokines like IFN-α, IL-4, and IL-13 and the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) secreted by inflammatory cells, as well as abnormal inflammatory signatures [such as type-I interferon (IFN) signature] appear in the blood or target organs of SSc patients (Allanore et al., 2015).