Therefore, for the first time our results might suggest that clinical beneficial effect obtained by treating ILD in SSc patients and related to reduced lung fibrosis, might well implicate the downregulation of the M2 profibrotic macrophage activity, as shown in the present study by the significant downregulation and reduction of the functional proteins MerTK and TGFβ1. Here, TGFB1 is linked to systemic sclerosis.