Systems Level Analysis of Systemic Sclerosis Shows a Network of Immune and Profibrotic Pathways Connected with Genetic Polymorphisms
Figure 5
Hubs in the inflammatory and ECM components of the network.
The putative MRSS biomarker gene IFI44 is a hub of the type 1 interferon subnetwork. AIF1, which contains SSc-associated polymorphisms and is related to M2 macrophage polarization, is a hub of the M2 macrophage network. FBN1, which contains SSc-associated polymorphisms in some populations and is a key component of ECM that regulates matrix stiffness, is a hub of the TGFβ/ECM network. The tyrosine kinase gene LYN is associated with B cell activation and mediating self-tolerance and is a hub in the adaptive immunity subnetwork.