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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: Immunol Lett. 2017 Oct 5;195:55–60. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2017.10.002

Figure 3. Model for the role of CD8+ T cells in SSc pathogenesis.

Figure 3

The schematic illustrates a mechanism through which tissue-resident CD8+ T cells, activated in response to antigen-driven stimulation, produce cytokines that contribute to inflammation and promote overproduction of collagen by fibroblasts which results in excessive fibrosis. The activation of cytotoxic, cell-mediated pathways may be involved in early vascular damage, and potentially in initiating and propagating a specific autoimmune response. CD8-induced apoptosis of target cells may also contribute to fibrosis.