A positive correlation was found between CENPA levels and activation of several fibrotic genes [IL6 (r = 0.7065), FGF1 (r = 0.5544), IL1B (r = 0.6094), and TGFB1 (r = 0.5755)] as well as with CDKN1A (r = 0.7321), VEGFA (r = 0.7196), cGAS (r = 0.7563), and IFNB1 (r = 0.5223) in all SSc patients tested (See r and p values in Supplementary Fig. 12). Here, IL6 is linked to systemic sclerosis.