Inactivation of the transcription factor STAT-4 prevents inflammation-driven fibrosis in animal models of systemic sclerosis

Jérôme Avouac1,2,*,†, Barbara G. Fürnrohr1, Michal Tomcik1,3, Katrin Palumbo1, Pawel Zerr1, Angelika Horn1, Clara Dees1, Alfiya Akhmetshina1, Christian Beyer1, Oliver Distler4, Georg Schett1, Yannick Allanore2,‡, Jörg H.W. Distler1,‡

Sources: 1Department of Internal Medicine III and Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany2Paris Descartes University, Rheumatology A department, Cochin Hospital, and INSERM U1016, Necker Hospital, Paris, France3Institute of Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Research Laboratory, Department of Rheumatology of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic4Center of Experimental Rheumatology and Zurich Center of Integrative Human Physiology, University Hospital Zurich, SwitzerlandEmail: Jérôme Avouac (javouac@me.com)

Arthritis & RheumatismVolume 63, Issue 3, pages 800-809, March 2011DOI: 10.1002/art.30171