Variability in the retraction of collagen lattices by scleroderma fibroblasts--relationship to protein synthesis and clinical data.

Skin fibroblasts from 18 scleroderma patients were seeded into collagen lattices and their ability to retract their substratum was compared with that of control fibroblasts from healthy donors. When considered as a whole, scleroderma fibroblasts retracted lattices earlier and more intensely than controls. Analysis of individual results demonstrated that morphea and diffuse systemic sclerosis (dSSc) fibroblasts had different kinetics of lattice retraction. Fibroblasts which contracted lattices more intensely than controls were found to produce increased levels of fibronectin. A comparison of the retraction of collagen lattices by fibroblasts from involved (IS) and uninvolved skin (US) of the same patients (n = 4) showed that those from IS retracted the lattices more than fibroblasts from normal donors, whereas a high variability was found with fibroblasts from US. The increased retraction of collagen lattices seems to be a feature of the more severe forms of scleroderma.