| Abstract: | Collagen-like protein (CLP) was demonstrated in the serum of normal human individuals and of patients with connective tissue disorders. The average amount of CLP in normals was 9.1 ± 0.2 μg/ml, whereas in systemic scleroderma, circumscribed scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus the amounts were significantly lower. Serum CLP levels were also found to be decreased in pseudoxanthoma elasticum, striae atrophicae, and impetigo herpetiformis, but variable in dermatomyositis, and within normal limits in pyoderma gangrenosum. There seemed to be a relationship between the behavior of collagen-like protein and the severity of clinical manifestations in systemic scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus. |
