Bronchial inflammation, respiratory symptoms and lung function in Primary Sjögren's syndrome

There is no information available regarding the relationship between the respiratory symptoms or lung function and bronchial inflammation, measured by induced sputum.

Description of the clinical characteristics, radiographic images and lung function of patients suffering from Primary Sjögren Syndrome (PSS), and to assess the relationship with the inflammatory airway profile.

We analysed clinical, radiology, lung function tests, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and inflammatory data in the induced sputum from 36 consecutive patients with PSS.

A total of 58% of patients had hoarseness and 42% had cough and dispnea. No lung dysfunction was observed, although 46% (n=16) had a positive bronchial response. Lymphocytosis >2.6% in induced sputum was observed in 69% of all sputa. There was chronic cough in 29% of patients with lymphocytosis (n=24), whereas 73% were normal (n=11) (P=.02). The duration time of cough was less for the former (P=.02). On the contrary a positive bronchial response was associated with lymphocytosis >2.6% (P=.02). Lipophages were present in 55% of pathological sputa (n=22) (index >15) versus 18% of the non-pathological ones (n=11) (P=.05).

Hoarseness, cough and dyspnea are frequent respiratory symptoms in PSS, although there is a wide variation in the relationship with bronchial responsiveness and airway inflammation. Lymphocytosis in the airways is another site of the infiltrative process in PSS, and the induced sputum is a complementary tool in the identification of active inflammatory process.