Sympathetic dysfunction in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

Area of Science:

• Neuroimmunology
• Autonomic Neurology

Background:

• Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease primarily affecting exocrine glands.
• Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction is increasingly recognized in autoimmune conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate autonomic nervous system function in patients with primary SS.
• To correlate ANS findings with clinical and immunological variables in primary SS.

Main Methods:

• Assessed ANS function using finger skin blood flow (vasoconstrictory index), deep-breathing (expiration/inspiration ratio), and tilt table tests.
• Compared results from 30 primary SS patients with age-matched controls.

Main Results:

• Primary SS patients demonstrated impaired sympathetic (increased vasoconstrictory index) and parasympathetic (decreased expiration/inspiration ratio) function.
• Abnormal blood pressure responses during tilt table testing were observed, particularly in patients with anti-SSA/SSB antibodies.
• No significant correlations were found between ANS measures and ophthalmologic or oral assessments.

Conclusions:

• Primary SS is associated with significant sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system dysfunction.
• Immunological factors, such as anti-SSA/SSB antibodies, appear to influence cardiovascular regulation in primary SS.