Increased output of newly generated B cells result in reduced B-cell replication in the periphery. Median (± IQR) of (A) sjKREC and (B) Cj values as measured by quantitative RT-PCR analysis on PBMC genomic DNA at baseline (0 months, pretransplant) and at the following time points in transplanted (AHSCT, n = 26 patients at baseline, n = 15 at 6 and 12 months, and n = 11 at 18, 24, and >24 months) and nontransplanted (non-AHSCT, n = 14 patients at baseline and 6 months, n = 13 at 12 months, and n = 8 at 18, 24, and >24 months) SSc patients. The results were expressed by log10 in 150 000 PBMCs. Panels C and D include transplanted patients only. (C) Quantification of CD19⁺ B cells by FACS. The boundaries of the boxes indicate the 25th and 75th percentiles; the lines within the boxes indicate the median, and the whiskers mark the 10th and the 90th percentiles. *P < .05 comparing posttransplant values to baseline (Wilcoxon’s). (D) Spearman’s correlation between B-cells count and Cj values. (E) Median (± IQR) number of B-cells division in the peripheral blood (n) as calculated using following formula: n = LOG(Cj/sjKREC)/LOG2. *P < .05, AHSCT vs non-AHSCT (Mann-Whitney U test). §P < .05; §§P < .01 comparing posttransplant values to baseline (Wilcoxon’s).