Journal List > J Rheum Dis > v.22(3) > 1064183

Jung and Suh: Update of Sjögren's Syndrome

Abstract

We reviewed the recent findings in diagnosis, pathogenesis and management of Sjögren's syndrome. New diagnostic classification criteria for Sjögren's syndrome were published by the American College of Rheumatology in 2012, and validation was completed. Salivary gland ultrasonography has been examined as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for Sjögren's syndrome, and the results have revealed that it has high specificity and low sensitivity. Disease activity assessment tools for Sjögren's syndrome have been developed and validated for upcoming clinical trials. Several associated genes were identified by genomewide association studies, with large cohorts in Europe and China. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms of Sjögren's syndrome are related to germinal center formation and lymphoma development. New treatment modalities, including inter-leukin-1 receptor antagonist, anti-CD20, anti-BAFF/Blys, and CTLA4-immunoglobulin were investigated, but the optimal therapeutic compounds have yet to be found.

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Table 1.
The revised American-European Consensus Group (AECG) classification criteria and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for Sjögren's syndrome (SS)
AECG Classification ACR Classification
Inclusion criteria  
I. Ocular symptoms: a positive response to at least one of the following questions: None
1. Have you had daily, persistent, troublesome dry eyes for more than 3 months?  
2. Do you have a recurrent sensation of sand or gravel in the eyes?  
3. Do you use tear substitutes more than 3 times a day?  
II. Oral symptoms: a positive response to at least one of the following questions: None
1. Have you had a daily feeling of dry mouth for more than 3 months?  
2. Have you had recurrently or persistently swollen salivary glands as an adult?  
3. Do you frequently drink liquids to aid in swallowing dry food?  
III. Ocular signs – that is, objective evidence of ocular involvement defined as a positive result for at least one of the following two tests: 1. Schirmer' s I test, performed without anesthesia (≤5 mm in 5 minutes) Keratoconjunctivitis sicca with ocular staining score ≥3 (assuming that individual is not currently using daily eye drops for glaucoma and has not had corneal surgery or cosmetic eyelid surgery in the last 5 years)
2. Rose Bengal score or other ocular dye score (≥4 according to van Bijsterveld' s scoring system)  
IV. Histopathology: in minor salivary glands (obtained through normal appearing mucosa) focal lymphocytic sialoadenitis, evaluated by an expert histopathologist, with a focus score ≥ 1, defined as number of lymphocytic foci (which are adjacent to normal-appearing mucous acini and contain more than 50 lymphocytes) per 4 mm2 of glandular tissue Labial salivary gland biopsy exhibiting focal lymphocytic sialadenitis with a focus score ≥1 focus/4 mm2
V. Salivary gland involvement: objective evidence of salivary gland involvement defined by a positive result for at least one of the following diagnostic tests: None
1. Unstimulated whole salivary flow (≤1.5 ml in 15 min)  
2. Parotid sialography showing the presence of diffuse sialectasias (punctate, cavitary or destructive pattern), without evidence of obstruction in major ducts  
3. Salivary scintigraphy showing delayed uptake, reduced concentration and/or delayed excretion of tracer  
VI. Autoantibodies: presence in the serum of the following autoantibodies:  Positive serum anti-SSA/Ro and/or anti-SSB/La or (positive rheumatoid factor and ANA titer ≥1:320)
1. Antibodies to Ro (SSA) or La (SSB) antigens, or both  
Classification rules  
For Primary SS: For Sjögren's Syndrome:
In patients without any potentially associated disease, primary SS may be defined as follows: The classification of SS, which applies to individuals with signs/symptoms that may be suggestive of SS, will be met in patients who have at least 2 of the 3 objective features previously described
a. The presence of any 4 of the 6 items is indicative of primary SS, as long as either item IV (Histopathology) or VI (Serology) is positive
b. The presence of any 3 of the 4 objective criteria items (that is, items III, IV, V, VI)  
c. The classification tree procedure represents a valid alternative method for classification, although it should be more properly used in clinical-epidemiological survey  
For Secondary SS:  
In patients with a potentially associated disease (for instance, another well defined connective tissue disease), the presence of item 1 or item II plus any 2 from among items III, IV and V may be considered as indicative of secondary SS Eliminated the distinction between primary and secondary forms of SS
Exclusion criteria  
1. Past head and neck radiation treatment Prior diagnosis of any of the following conditions would
2. Hepatitis C infection exclude participation in SS studies or therapeutic trials
3. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) because of overlapping clinical features or
4. Pre-existing lymphoma interference with criteria tests:
5. Sarcoidosis  
6. Graft versus host disease 1. History of head and neck radiation treatment
7. Use of anticholinergic drugs (since a time shorter than 4-fold the half life of the drug) 2. Hepatitis C infection
3. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
  4. Sarcoidosis
  5. Amyloidosis
  6. Graft versus host disease
  7. IgG4-related disease

AECG: American-European Consensus Group, ACR: American College of Rheumatology. Cited from the article Rasmussen et al.(Ann Rheum Dis 2014;73:31-8) [10].

Table 2.
Clinical trials for the treatment of Sjögren's syndrome
Drug Type of study Patient (n)/period Enrollment date Study location Result
Rituximab RCT 30/48 wk August 2006 to September 2007 Netherland Improvement of stimulated whole saliva flow rate
Rituximab RCT 120/24 wk March 2008 to January 2011 France No significant difference
Rituximab RCT 110/48 wk August 2011 to December 2013 UK No result
Belimumab Open-label 30/52 wk March 2010 to June 2012 Europe Improvement in dryness, fatigue, VAS
          Decreased ESSDAI and ESPRI
Abatacept Open-label 15/48 wk August 2010 to May 2012 Netherland Decreased ESSDAI, ESSPRI RF, IgG during treatment
Low dose cyclosporin A Open-label 30/16 wk March 2010 to October 2014 Germany No result
CFZ533 RCT 30/12 wk October 2014 to July 2016 USA, Europe Ongoing
SS-1 (Chinese herbal formula) RCT 60/7 mo February 2014 to January 2016 Taiwan Ongoing
VAY736 RCT 30/12 wk May 2014 to June 2017 USA, Europe Ongoing
AMG557/ MEDI5872 RCT 42/12 wk January 2014 to November 2016 USA Ongoing
Baminercept RCT 72/24 wk July 2012 to May 2015 USA Ongoing
Tocillizumab RCT 110/24 wk July 2013 to March 2017 France Ongoing

ESSDAI: EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index, ESSPRI: EULAR Sjögren's syndrome patient reported index, IgG: mmunoglobulin G, RCT: randomized controlled trial, RF: rheumatoid factor, VAS: visual analogue scale.

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