[3H]Thymidine labeling of dermal endothelial cells in scleroderma.

The purpose of this study was to estimate [3H] thymidine labeling of endothelial cells of skin capillaries in localized scleroderma (LS) and systemic scleroderma (SS). Skin specimens from 14 patients with SS, 5 with LS, and 9 matched controls were studied by in vitro autoradiography. Capillaries from patients with SS showed a statistically significant increase in endothelial cell labeling when compared to vessels from controls (p less than 0.0005).