ctgf gene expression was induced in lung fibroblasts exclusively using serum from patients with SSc-ILD [0.1666 (0.1057–0.3611) compared to treatment with serum from SSc without ILD [0.0516 (0.0281–0.1534), P = 0.026, 95% CI: 0.0112 to 0.3048] or healthy pooled serum [0.0718 (0.018–0.0879), P = 0.009, 95% CI: 0.0339 to 0.3275]. Here, CCN2 is linked to systemic sclerosis.