S100A4 is a high glucose-induced fibrotic factor in Dupuytren’s contracture

Among several risk factors for Dupuytren’s contracture, diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-known risk factor for this disease. While epidemiological studies demonstrated a high prevalence of DM in patients with Dupuyren’s contractures, the exact underlying mechanism by which DM is involved in their development and progression are still unknown.

Here, we investigate how glycometabolic disorder is involved in the pathogenesis of Dupuytren’s contracture. RNA sequencing reveal that Dupuytren’s contracture-derived fibroblasts treated with high-glucose media upregulated S100A4 (also called fibroblast-specific protein, Fsp1) expression compared to those with low-glucose media. The expression of S100A4 in Dupuytren’s contracture tissues is significantly increased in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients.