Oxidative stress-dependent activation of collagen synthesis is induced in human pulmonary smooth muscle cells by sera from patients with scleroderma-associated pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a major complication of systemic sclerosis. Although oxidative stress, intima hyperplasia and a progressive vessel occlusion appear to be clearly involved, the fine molecular mechanisms underpinning the onset and progression of systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension remain largely unknown. Here we shows for the first time that an increase of NADPH-derived reactive oxygen species production induced by sera from systemic sclerosis patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension drives collagen type I promoter activity in primary human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, suggesting that antioxidant-based therapies should be considered in the treatment of systemic sclerosis-associated vascular diseases.