Agarwal SK et al. – The evidence for a strong genetic contribution to scleroderma pathogenesis continues to mount. Epidemiologic studies suggest that a family history is the strongest risk factor, but ethnicity also contributes. The candidate-gene association studies presented in this article identify several individual genes that may be involved in scleroderma. Previous studies, supports the involvement of multiple pathways in the development of scleroderma. The end result is a complex regulatory network of genes and pathways. Future studies need to foster the understanding of the genes and proteins involved in these pathways and how they interact with one another to lead ultimately to the development of scleroderma.
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