Scleroderma is a hardening of skin thickening, associated with chronic inflammatory infiltration and significant fibroproliferative microangiopathy changes in cellular and humoral immunity, and various autoimmune diseases level features. Because the pathogenesis of complex and become an intractable disease, a large degree of harm, can affect the skin and internal organs, including the heart and lungs, digestive tract, etc., leading to organ dysfunction and even structural damage and failure, a serious threat to human health and the life, to patients bring substantial economic and mental stress. Few violations of internal organs can be divided into localized scleroderma and systemic scleroderma system damage is often accompanied by two types. Localized scleroderma is limited to the face, extremities, skin lesions from the distal to proximal development, torso, less visceral involvement, slow disease progression, prognosis is good; while systemic scleroderma is divided into extremities and diffuse, the main difference is that almost every type extremities Raynaud's phenomenon, skin lesions began in the hands, feet, face and other parts of the extremities, involvement of more limited scope, showed concentric development, visceral organ involvement lighter, slow disease progression, prognosis is good; diffuse distal lesions often extended from the trunk, Raynaud's phenomenon less severe illness, rapid disease progression and poor prognosis, often violated one or more organs, including the lungs, heart, gastrointestinal tract, etc.,. Scleroderma patients with mild symptoms can be disabling, disfiguring, symptoms and can cause death. In the United States, the 5-year survival rate is 50% systemic sclerosis, and tumor rather, visceral organ fibrosis is the most important factor causing high mortality in patients with scleroderma.

Scleroderma incidence of connective tissue disease after rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, ranking No. 3, male to female ratio was 4.6: 1. Clinically, the vast majority of patients have Raynaud's phenomenon. Raynaud's syndrome as the first symptom in most patients with systemic scleroderma, showing that appear whitish purple and red-phase and then changes can be alleviated by the warmth after (toe) end of the cold or emotional fluctuations. Systemic scleroderma produce multi-system damage mainly in three aspects: (1) to hyperimmunoglobulinemia and serum autoantibodies is characterized by the presence of a variety of autoimmune response; (2) a small intimal injury and extremities, visceral Raynaud's phenomenon is characterized by frequent vascular disease; (3) skin and visceral tissue collagen fibers.

Scleroderma exhibit racial differences in the incidence of black people than white people, while the age of onset of scleroderma different populations there are also differences. 2003 American scleroderma annual incidence of 242 ~ 286/1000000, the incidence of Ireland, England, France and Greece was 71 ~ 158/1000000, and the incidence is higher than the northern part of southern Europe. Japan's 1988 incidence rate of 21 to 53/1000000. China has not yet reported on the incidence of scleroderma aspects. Nigeria's population (black people) an average age of onset of scleroderma was 40.1 years, while Caucasians (whites) was 51.5 years, the average age of onset was 52 years of Japanese.

Scleroderma Scleroderma is currently considered on the basis of genetic, environmental factors in the trigger, causing the immune system disorders, vascular injury, activated fibroblasts, extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation of collagen and other cell imbalance, leading to tissue fibers technology. Scleroderma racial, geographic differences, but also found a variety of genes and pathways play an important role in the development of scleroderma.

Genome-wide association analysis showed that the type of scleroderma and sample ethnic backgrounds looking for disease susceptibility genes are important factors needed. Therefore, different research institutions to explore the risk factors of scleroderma, proven susceptibility gene - environment interactions and interactions between genes, between genes and functional confirmation of the corresponding gene, these findings will etiology study all aspects of physiology and pathology, such as scleroderma occurs provide rich and effective information and scleroderma diagnosis, prevention and treatment of future personalized offers basic research.