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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Examination of Oral Candida Infection in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Patients
Published on: March 1, 2024
Prevalence and longterm course of primary biliary cirrhosis in primary Sjögren's syndrome
Gregorios S Hatzis1, Georgios E Fragoulis, Aggelos Karatzaferis
1Department of Pathophysiology, National University of Athens Medical School, and Department of Pathology, Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Objective:
To study the prevalence of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and its progression in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
Methods:
We investigated 410 patients with primary SS, without history of liver disease, for the presence of PBC based on a retrospective review of clinical, biochemical, immunologic, and histologic data.
Results:
Thirty-six (8.8%) patients had cholestatic liver biochemistry. Of them, 21 (5.1%) had positive antimitochondrial autoantibodies (AMA) detected by indirect immunofluorescence, while 15 were AMA-negative. Ten of the 21 AMA-positive patients and 7 of the 15 AMA-negative patients were further investigated with liver biopsy, the result of which was compatible with PBC in all but one (AMA-negative) patient. Overall, 27 (6.6%) patients had definite (n=10), probable (n=11), or AMA-negative (n=6) PBC. Pathologically, most PBC lesions were stage 1. Five patients had a second liver biopsy, with no significant histological deterioration.
Conclusion:
PBC is a rather uncommon development in patients with primary SS. The disease appears to be pathologically mild, with a propensity for slow progression, as assessed clinically, biochemically, and histologically.
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