Sjogren's Syndrome info
LATEST SJOGREN'S NEWS

Immune Response Targeting Sjögren's Syndrome Antigen Ro52 Suppresses Tear Production in Female Mice. Trzeciak M, Bagavant H, Papinska J, Deshmukh US.

Elevation of Serum IL-35 in Patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome. Han M, Li Y, Liu S, Jiang S, Yuan L, Xia L, Shen H, Lu J.

Clinical and Immunological Features of Anti-centromere Antibody-Positive Primary Sjögren's Syndrome. Tsukamoto M, Suzuki K, Takeuchi T.

Aberrant expression of the innate restriction factor bone marrow stromal antigen-2 in primary Sjögren's syndrome. Chen C, Shi H, Wang B, Cao N, Yu C, Zheng L.

Characterization of Neuropathic Pain in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome with Respect to Neurophysiological Evidence of Small-Fiber Neuropathy. Ng Wing Tin S, Zouari HG, Wahab A, Sène D, Lefaucheur JP.

Systematic review of rituximab for autoimmune diseases: a potential alternative to intravenous immune globulin. MacIsaac J, Siddiqi R, Jamula E, Li N, Baker S, Webert KE, Evanovitch D, Heddle NM, Arnold DM.

Increased risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection in patients with Sjögren's syndrome: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan. Tsai YD, Chien WC, Tsai SH, Chung CH, Chu SJ, Chen SJ, Liao WI, Yang CJ, Liao MT, Wang JC.

A retrospective analysis of distinguishing features of chest HRCT and clinical manifestation in primary Sjögren's syndrome-related interstitial lung disease in a Chinese population. Dong X, Zhou J, Guo X, Li Y, Xu Y, Fu Q, Lu Y, Zheng Y.

IFI16 filament formation in salivary epithelial cells shapes the anti-IFI16 immune response in Sjögren's syndrome. Antiochos B, Matyszewski M, Sohn J, Casciola-Rosen L, Rosen A.

Impact of environmental pollution on the ocular surface of Sjögren's syndrome patients.  Galperín G, Berra M, Marquez MI, Mandaradoni M, Tau J, Berra A.

Efficacy and safety of using topical cyclosporine A for treatment of moderate to severe dry eye disease. Othman TM, Mousa A, Gikandi PW, AbdelMabod M, Abdelrahman AM.

Implant-supported Prostheses in Patient with Sjögren's Syndrome: Clinical Report with 3-year Follow-up. Mori G, Kobayashi T, Ito T, Yajima Y.

Severity of Sjögren's Syndrome Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca Increases with Increased Percentage of Conjunctival Antigen-Presenting Cells. Pflugfelder SC, Bian F, Gumus K, Farley W, Stern ME, De Paiva CS.

Biopsy-Proven Small-Fiber Neuropathy in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome:Neuropathic Pain Characteristics, Autoantibody Findings, and Histopathological Features. Birnbaum J, Lalji A, Saed A, Baer AN.

Red blood cell distribution width as a potential predictor of survival of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with primary Sjogren's syndrome: a retrospective cohort study. Hui M, Zhao J, Tian Z, Wang J, Qian J, Yang X, Wang Q, Li M, Zhao Y, Zeng X.

Role of Salivary Immune Parameters in Patients With Primary Sjögren's Syndrome. Hung YH, Lee YH, Chen PP, Lin YZ, Lin CH, Yen JH.

Epstein - Barr virus Infection in a Patient with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder and Sjögren's Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of Literature. Levinson JB, Alvarez MR, Koci K, Feoktistov A, McFarlane IM.

Sjögren's syndrome concurrent with protein-losing gastroenteropathy with secondary systemic capillary leak syndrome : A case report. Watanabe K, Murakami S, Misago M, Yoshikawa M, Tamai D, Nakao S, Ueoka T, Ito M, Shinomura Y, Kajiwara N.

Nodular Pulmonary Amyloidosis: A Manifestation of Sjögren's Syndrome. Gómez Correa GA, Osorno Serna J, Cáceres Acosta MF, Cáceres González JD, Calle Ramirez JA, Sandoval Mesa JP, Roldán Pérez MI.

NOD and NOR mice exhibit comparable development of lacrimal gland secretory dysfunction but NOD mice have more severe autoimmune dacryoadenitis. Ju Y, Janga SR, Klinngam W, MacKay JA, Hawley D, Zoukhri D, Edman MC, Hamm-Alvarez SF.

The role of RORα in salivary gland lesions in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Weng X, Liu Y, Cui S, Cheng B.

Is sonoelastography a helpful method of evaluation to diagnose Sjögren's syndrome? Pia LJ, Juan BM, Frank P, Angela AA, Jose G, Juan de Dios BS.

Sjögren's Syndrome and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: Two Sides of the Same Coin. Anaya JM, Restrepo-Jiménez P, Rodríguez Y, Rodríguez-Jiménez M, Acosta-Ampudia Y, Monsalve DM, Pacheco Y, Ramírez-Santana C, Molano-González N, Mantilla RD.

Ectopic germinal centres in labial minor salivary glands and male gender are additional risk factors for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in primary Sjögren's syndrome. Sène D, Ismael S, Forien M, Charlotte F, Kaci R, Cacoub P, Abdourahmane D, Dieudé P, Lioté F.

Chemokine Receptor 4 Expression in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

Cytawa W, Kircher S, Schirbel A, Shirai T, Fukushima K, Buck AK, Wester HJ, Lapa C.

Germinal centres in diagnostic biopsies of pSS patients are not a risk factor for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but a reflection of high disease activity. Haacke EA, van der Vegt B, Vissink A, Spijkervet FKL, Bootsma H, Kroese FGM.

Current concepts on Sjögren's syndrome - classification criteria and biomarkers. Jonsson R, Brokstad KA, Jonsson M, Delaleu N, Skarstein K.

The Sjögren's syndrome-associated autoantigen Ro52/TRIM21 modulates follicular B cell homeostasis and immunoglobulin production. Brauner S, Ivanchenko M, Thorlacius GE, Ambrosi A, Wahren-Herlenius M.

Association between primary Sjogren's syndrome, arterial stiffness, and subclinical atherosclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Yong WC, Sanguankeo A, Upala S.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 Inhibits the Immunomodulatory Property of BMMSCs via Id1 in Sjögren's Syndrome. Su Y, Gu Y, Wu R, Wang H.

The impact of disease activity and psychological status on quality of life for Chinese patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Cui Y, Li L, Xia L, Zhao Q, Chen S, Fu T, Ji J, Gu Z.

Interferon activation in primary Sjögren's syndrome: recent insights and future perspective as novel treatment target. Bodewes ILA, Versnel MA.

Hospitalizations due to systemic connective tissue diseases: Secular trends and regional disparities in Sweden, 1998-2016. Kiadaliri AA, Mohammad AJ, Englund M.

Diagnostic value of acustic radiation force impulse imaging in the assessment of salivary gland involvement in primary Sjögren's syndrome. Turnaoglu H, Kural Rahatli F, Pamukcu M, Haberal KM, Uslu N.

A DNA-Methylated Sight on Autoimmune Inflammation Network across RA, pSS, and SLE. Wang X, Lei D, Ding J, Liu S, Tao L, Zhang F, Peng J, Xu J.

Innate and Adaptive Cell Populations Driving Inflammation in Dry Eye Disease. Reyes JL, Vannan DT, Eksteen B, Avelar IJ, Rodríguez T, González MI, Mendoza AV.

Complete Hypokalemic Quadriparesis as a First Presentation of Sjögren Syndrome, was published in the Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease.​​​​​​​


Researchers discuss the case of a 73-year-old woman who came to the hospital with extreme muscle weakness in all four limbs.

Her blood tests suggested this was caused by critically low levels of potassium. But potassium supplements failed to raise her potassium levels to normal range.

Her only other symptoms were fatigue and ocular dryness.

“Our report emphasizes that although Sjögren syndrome is most often associated with chronic sicca [dryness] symptoms, it may present for the first time with extraglandular manifestations which may be life threatening,” the researchers concluded.
 

Researchers investigated peripheral TFH cells in primary Sjogren's Syndrome (pSS.) 
B cells have a prominent role in SS, and the T follicular helper (TFH) cells provide B cells with survival.  
B-cells are a type of white blood cell that are key to the development of pSS. TFH cells are crucial for the survival, development, and function of B-cells.

Some findings were that disease activity in pSS patients caused higher TFH cells and lower B-cells, and increased activation of B-cells.​​​​​​​

This means that people with pSS show altered levels of specific types of immune T-cells and B-cells, which may play an important role in disease activity.
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Patients with chronic periodontitis present increased risk for primary Sjögren syndrome: a nationwide population-based cohort study.  The findings revealed a significant association between CP exposure and pSS risk. CP is Chronic periodontitis - the most common periodontal disease which is related to the chronic accumulation of bacterial biofilm leading to host-mediated slowly progressive destruction of periodontium. CP is the primary risk factor for tooth loss in adults 

Meibomian gland dropout in Sjögren’s syndrome and non-Sjögren’s dry eye patients. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences in ocular symptoms and signs between Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and non-SS aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) patients.​​​​​​​

Conclusion

SS patients exhibit more severe meibomian gland destruction of the upper eyelid than non-SS patients. Meibomian gland dysfunction is another key cause of SS-associated dry eye.


​​​​​​​Cerebellar degeneration in primary Sjogren syndrome,  the investigators concluded that in rare cases, patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome can have manifestations of cerebellar atrophy, a neurological manifestation of SS. 
Meibomian gland dropout in Sjögren’s syndrome and non-Sjögren’s dry eye patients. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences in ocular symptoms and signs between Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and non-SS aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) patients.​​​​​​​

Conclusion

SS patients exhibit more severe meibomian gland destruction of the upper eyelid than non-SS patients. Meibomian gland dysfunction is another key cause of SS-associated dry eye.


​​​​​​Cerebellar degeneration in primary Sjogren syndrome,  the investigators concluded that in rare cases, patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome can have manifestations of cerebellar atrophy, a neurological manifestation of SS. 

Mixed‐Methods Study Identifying Key Intervention Targets to Improve Participation in Daily Living Activities in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Patients

This data highlighted the fact that in addition to managing primary SS symptoms, interventions aiming to improve patient empowerment, general wellbeing, access to health care, patient education, and social support are important to facilitate improved participation in daily living activities. SOURCE
Genetic Determinants of Fatigue in Primary Sjögren`s Syndrome – a Genome Wide Association Study

Background/Purpose:

Fatigue is common in primary Sjögren`s syndrome (pSS), but what leads to that fatigue is not fully understood. They hypothesized that there is a genetic basis for fatigue, and that specific gene-variants influence the severity of fatigue.

To investigate this further they performed a genome wide association study of 367 Scandinavian pSS patients. 

They identified genetic variants in RTP4 exceeding the GWS level for association with fatigue. This gene encodes a protein involved in pain processing. Pain is known to influence fatigue, and this finding could point to a possible molecular explanation. ​​​​​​​

The present study is the largest GWAS of fatigue in autoimmune disease, and adds further evidence to a genetic regulation of fatigue.

Read Full Article here.

Significant improvement in Salivary Gland Ultrasound Scores after treatment with rituximab 

In patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome, improvements in salivary gland ultrasound were demonstrated after treatment with rituximab, according to the results of the TRACTISS randomised double-blind multicentre substudy published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases in 2018.

A total of 52 patients (26 treated with rituximab and 26 treated with placebo) from 9 centers completed the baseline visit and 1 or more follow-up visits.

The research showed statistically significant improvement in total ultrasound score (TUS) after rituximab compared with the placebo. 

Reference

Fisher BA, Everett CC, Rout J, et al. Effect of rituximab on a salivary gland ultrasound score in primary Sjögren's syndrome: results of the TRACTISS randomised double-blind multicentre substudy. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77:412-416.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) impact on smell, taste, sexuality and quality of life in female patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
378 female participants were included in the study which was reported in Modern Rheumatology in July 2017.
pSS had a negative impact on smell, taste, sexual function and quality of life in the women. The most impact was considered to be on the physical and mental component of the quality of life.  

 rituximab with a peptide epitope