Role of adipokines in systemic sclerosis pathogenesis

Abstract

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune connective tissue disease with manifestationsin multiple organs, including the skin, lung, heart, joints, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and liver. Itspathophysiology is characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and vascular damage, with an increasedexpression of numerous cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. However, besides these growthfactors and cytokines, another group of molecules may be involved in the pathogenesis of SSc: theadipokines. Adipokines are proteins with metabolic and cytokine-like properties, which were originallyfound to be expressed by adipose tissue. However, their expression is not limited to this tissue,and they can also be found in other organs. Therefore, this review will describe the current knowledgeregarding adipokines in the context of SSc and try to elucidate their potential role in the pathogenesisof SSc.