Mahmoudi MB, et al. - The transcriptional levels of p53 and p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) mRNAs in fibroblasts were substantiated in this trial, from systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and contrasted with healthy subjects. The findings unveiled an impairment in the apoptosis pathways, in the fibroblasts from patients with SSc. This, in turn, caused chronic fibrosis. PUMA/p53 pathway did not appear to be involved in the dysfunction of apoptosis mechanisms in fibroblasts of patients with SSc.