CCN2 and systemic sclerosis: CTGF synthesis and expression were significantly reduced in SSc derived PBMCs treated with 1,25(OH)2D3 only at the highest concentration (10-7M: 86.41±10.11 vs 105.2±14.1 pg/ml in untreated cells, Figure 4; mRNA relative expression from 1.62-fold in untreated cells to 1.22 p<0.05 compared to control), similarly to the reduction of CTGF observed in PBMCs from healthy subjects only at the highest 1,25(OH)2D3 concentration (10-7M: 69.2±9.1 vs 80.1±11.47 pg/ml in untreated cells, Figure 4; mRNA relative expression 0.53-fold p<0.01).