VCAN and systemic sclerosis: We were unable to identify a statistically significant increase in VCAN expression in IPF compared to HP or SSc-ILD lung and blood samples; however, given its detectable expression in both lung and peripheral blood, and prior studies showing circulating levels of versican degradation products are associated with increased mortality in idiopathic ILDs [29], further studies into its gene expression as a prognostic biomarker may be warranted.