VEGFA and systemic sclerosis: The pathophysiology of SSc is characterized by progressive endothelial damage, the dysregulation of innate immunity, and dysfunctional angiogenesis, affecting the microvasculature due to impaired differentiation ability of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and their interplay with angiogenic factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) [4,5].