Pain in primary Sjögren's syndrome

Joint and muscle pain are commonly observed in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Different types of pain can be distinguished, that is, articular pain, neuropathic pain and widespread pain. Articular pain is due to more or less evident synovitis, usually involving peripheral joints such as hand joints, wrists, knees and ankles. Drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus synovitis, are also employed for articular involvement in pSS. Pure sensory neuropathies and, more often, small fibre neuropathies are responsible for neuropathic pain in pSS. This is usually localised in the legs and arms with a characteristic glove or sock distribution. Widespread pain, often assuming the features of fibromyalgia, has also been reported in patients with pSS. The pathological mechanisms underlying both neuropathic pain and widespread (fibromyalgia) pain in pSS have not been so far completely clarified.

ACPA-positive primary Sjögren's syndrome: true primary or rheumatoid arthritis-associated Sjögren's syndrome?

Objectives

Anticyclic citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) are highly specific of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, they have also been detected in 5–10% of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). We compared ACPA-positive and negative patients with pSS and assessed the risk of evolution to RA.

Patients and methods

ACPA-positive and negative patients with pSS were included in this study. For ACPA-positive patients, clinical and radiological re-evaluation was systematically performed after at least 5 years of follow-up. Diagnosis was reassessed at the end of the follow-up to identify patients that developed RA according to the American College of Rheumatology 1987 classification criteria.

Results

At inclusion in the cohort 16 patients with pSS were ACPA positive and 278 were ACPA negative. ACPA-positive patients, had more frequently arthritis (43.7% vs 12.2%; p=0.003) but not arthralgias. They also had more frequent lung involvement (25% vs 8.1%; p=0.05). After median follow-up of 8 (5–10) years, 7/16 (43.8%) patients developed RA including 5 (31.25%) with typical RA erosions. Elevation of acute phase reactants at inclusion was the only parameter associated with progression to erosive RA.

Conclusions

Median term follow-up of ACPA-positive patients with pSS showed that almost half of them developed RA, particularly in the presence of elevation of acute phase reactants. These results support the usefulness of a close radiological monitoring of these patients for early detection of erosive change not to delay initiation of effective treatment. Indeed, number of these patients with ACPA-positive pSS may actually have RA and associated SS.

Cardiovascular involvement in autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases (AD) represent a broad spectrum of chronic conditions that may afflict specific target organs or multiple systems with a significant burden on quality of life. These conditions have common mechanisms including genetic and epigenetics factors, gender disparity, environmental triggers, pathophysiological abnormalities, and certain subphenotypes. Atherosclerosis (AT) was once considered to be a degenerative disease that was an inevitable consequence of aging. However, research in the last three decades has shown that AT is not degenerative or inevitable. It is an autoimmune-inflammatory disease associated with infectious and inflammatory factors characterized by lipoprotein metabolism alteration that leads to immune system activation with the consequent proliferation of smooth muscle cells, narrowing arteries, and atheroma formation. Both humoral and cellular immune mechanisms have been proposed to participate in the onset and progression of AT. Several risk factors, known as classic risk factors, have been described. Interestingly, the excessive cardiovascular events observed in patients with ADs are not fully explained by these factors. Several novel risk factors contribute to the development of premature vascular damage. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of how traditional and nontraditional risk factors contribute to pathogenesis of CVD in AD.

Cognitive Dysfunction and Dementia in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome

Background. Primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS) is a frequent systemic autoimmune disease. In this study, we aimed to explore the cognitive impairment and the correlations with brain MRI. Methods. Twenty-five patients (mean age 55 ± 11.8 years, 21 females) with PSS were prospectively selected and tested with a French translation of the Brief Repeatable Battery for Neuropsychological Examination. The results were compared with the scores for 25 matched patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 25 controls. Brain lesions were assessed by brain MRI using the Wahlund classification. Results. Fifteen of the 25 PSS patients (60%) presented with cognitive disorders versus 19/25 MS patients (76%). Five patients had dementia in the PSS group. Speed of information processing, attention, immediate and long-term memory, and executive functions were frequently impaired. The mean duration of cognitive complaints was 5.6 ± 6.1 years, and the mean duration of PSS was 15.8 ± 14.0 years. A trend towards a correlation was found between the severity of cognitive impairment and the degree of white matter lesions (WML) (P = 0.03, rho = 0.43). Conclusion. Cognitive impairment—mild or dementia—exists in patients with PSS. Further MRI studies are needed to better understand the precise neural basis of cognitive impairment in PSS patients.

Perfil clínico y epidemiológico de pacientes con síndrome de Sjögren concomitante a artritis reumatoide

El Síndrome de Sjögren es una enfermedad crónica autoinmune en la cual se ven alteradas las glándulas mucosas del organismo, caracterizada principalmente por sequedad oral (xerostomía) y ocular (xeroftalmia). Objetivo. Describir el perfil clínico y epidemiológico de pacientes con Sjögren concomitante a Artritis Reumatoide en una Clínica  privada de la ciudad de Medellín-Colombia. 2005- 2010. Metodología. Estudio descriptivo del tipo de series clínicas en el que se estudiaron las historias clínicas de los pacientes atendidos por Sjögren concomitante a Artritis Reumatoide en una clínica privada de Medellín-Colombia. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó el programa SPSS, a las variables cuantitativas se les calculó el promedio y la desviación estándar, además de los valores mínimo y máximo, y a las variables cualitativas se les estimó proporciones. Resultados. Se estudiaron 23 pacientes los cuales tenían una edad mediana de 55 años y 91.3% eran del sexo femenino. Los síntomas más frecuentemente reportados fueron la xerostomía y la xeroftalmia con un 69.6% y 56.5% respectivamente. Los métodos más empleados para el diagnóstico fueron el Factor Reumatoideo (78.3%) y los anticuerpos antinucleares (69.6%), mientras que los principales medicamentos empleados fueron la cloroquina y la Prednisolona (cada uno con 52.2%). Conclusión. Sjögren concomitante a Artritis fue encontrado más comúnmente en el sexo femenino. Las manifestaciones clínicas más frecuentes fueron la xerostomía y xeroftalmia y la mediana del tiempo de diagnóstico fue de 61 meses. Es necesario seguir ahondando en el tema para caracterizar mejor aquellos pacientes con Sjögren y otra enfermedad inmunológica de base.

Sjögren's syndrome in older patients: aetiology, diagnosis and management

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by chronic inflammation of exocrine glands that results in development of xerostomia and keratoconjunctivitis sicca. The disease activity of SS is not restricted to exocrine glands, and many other organs and organ systems can be involved. Diagnosis of SS in the elderly population can be challenging because xerostomia, dry eyes, symptoms of fatigue, weight loss and muscle pain are also common features of old age. Delay between clinical onset and diagnosis of SS in the elderly may be due to the shared features of SS and old age. The 2002 revised American-European Consensus Group (AECG) classification criteria for SS are the preferred tool used to confirm diagnosis of SS, but recently alternative criteria have been put forward by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The AECG criteria set combines subjective symptoms of dry eyes and dry mouth with objective signs of keratoconjunctivitis sicca, salivary gland dysfunction and histopathological (salivary gland biopsy) and serological (autoantibodies against SSA/Ro and SSB/La antigens) features. Treatment of SS in the elderly does not differ from that in younger patients. The aims of the treatment of SS are to control glandular and extraglandular manifestations, to prevent damage to organ systems and loss of function, and to decrease morbidity and mortality. Treatment of the elderly can be complicated by co-morbidities, an increased rate of adverse events related to therapeutic agents, and polypharmacy. Therefore, careful follow-up of the treatment is required.

Joint involvement in primary Sjögren's syndrome: an ultrasound "target area approach to arthritis"

Objective. To characterize the ultrasound (US) pattern of joint involvement in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Methods. Seventeen patients with pSS, 18 with secondary Sjögren's syndrome (sSS), and 17 healthy controls underwent US examinations of various articular regions. Synovitis (synovial hypertrophy/joint effusion), power Doppler (PD) signals, and erosions were assessed. Results. In patients with pSS, synovitis was found in the metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP, 76%), wrists (76%), and knees (76%), while the proximal interphalangeal joints, elbows, and ankles were mostly unscathed. Intra-articular PD signals were occasionally detected in wrists (12%), elbows (6%), and knees (6%). Erosions were evident in the wrists of three (18%) patients with pSS, one of these also having anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. While US synovitis does not discriminate between sSS and pSS, demonstration of bone erosions in the 2nd MCP joints showed 28.8% sensitivity and 100% specificity for diagnosing sSS; in comparison, these figures were 72.2 and 94.1% for circulating anti-CCP antibodies. Conclusions. In pSS, the pattern of joint involvement by US is polyarticular, bilateral, and symmetrical. Synovitis is the US sign most commonly found in patients with pSS, especially in MCP joints, wrists, and knees, and bone erosions also may occur.

Novel aspects of Sjögren's syndrome in 2012

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic progressive autoimmune disease characterized by a complex pathogenesis requiring a predisposing genetic background and involving immune cell activation and autoantibody production. The immune response is directed to the exocrine glands, causing the typical 'sicca syndrome', but major organ involvement is also often seen. The etiology of the disease is unknown. Infections could play a pivotal role: compared to normal subjects, patients with SS displayed higher titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early antigens, but lower titers of other infectious agent antibodies such as rubella and cytomegalovirus (CMV) suggest that some infections may have a protective role against the development of autoimmune disease. Recent findings seem to show that low vitamin D levels in patients with SS could be associated with severe complications such as lymphoma and peripheral neuropathy. This could open new insights into the disease etiology. The current treatments for SS range from symptomatic therapies to systemic immunosuppressive drugs, especially B cell-targeted drugs in cases of organ involvement. Vitamin D supplementation may be an additional tool for optimization of SS treatment.

Expression of IL-17, IL-23 and their receptors in minor salivary glands of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

The main purpose of this study was to determine the expression of interleukins-17/-23 (ILs-17/-23) and receptors of interleukins-17/-23 (IL-17R, IL-23R) in minor salivary glands (MSGs) of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Expression of IL-17, IL-23 and receptors of IL-17/-23 was analyzed in MSGs from 25 patients with pSS, 25 patients with probable preclinical pSS, and 25 patients with nonautoimmune sicca syndrome by immunohistochemistry. Comparison of the expression of IL-17, IL-23 and receptors of IL-17, IL-23 in MSG of patients with pSS with probable preclinical pSS, and with nonautoimmune sicca syndrome showed significant differences between three groups. However, the expression of IL-17, IL-23 and receptors of IL-17/-23 in MSG was comparable in pSS and probable preclinical pSS patients. We did not find correlation between the expression of IL-17 and IL-23 and of IL-17R and IL-23R in patients with pSS. These results demonstrate an involvement of IL-17/-23 system in the early pSS pathogenesis.

Fatigue and depression predict physician visits and work disability in women with primary Sjögren's syndrome: results from a cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Patients with primary SS (pSS) are frequently suffering from multiple enduring disorders that raise the risk of work disability and require treatment by various health-care specialists. We aimed at determining predictors of physician visits and work disability in pSS patients.

METHODS

Physician visits within the past 6 months, employment status and sick leave were compared among 176 female pSS patients and 115 age-matched controls. Dryness, pain, fatigue and depression were assessed by rating scales of the EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI), the Profile of Fatigue and Discomfort (PROFAD) and Patient Health Questionnaire depression measurements (PHQ-9). Factors associated with an increased number of physician visits and inability to work were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Patients and controls were comparable in age and education, but differed significantly in the prevalence of depression (38.1 vs 7.9%, P < 0.001), the number of physician visits [17.0 (10.0) vs 6.5 (4.5); P < 0.001] and gainful employment (≤64 years: 52.8 vs 77.1% P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analyses revealed that depression (PHQ-9) and/or fatigue, particularly lack of stamina, but not dryness, were significantly associated with physician visits and working status in pSS patients. Patients with high ratings for the statement 'I have had difficulties to keep going, was easily worn out or lacking in energy' had a highly increased risk of not being gainfully employed (adjusted OR 4.1; 95% CI 1.5, 11.2; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In pSS, lack of stamina and/or depression cause a higher level of individual and societal burden than dry eyes and mouth. Fatigue and depression deserve more recognition as treatment targets in pSS.