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Updated: May 14, 2026

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Salivary Glands for Sjogren's Syndrome: Diagnostic and Monitoring Insights
Published on: October 13, 2023
Activity of T-helper cells in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome
Gintaras Sudzius1, Diana Mieliauskaite, Irena Butrimiene
1Department of Immunology, State Research Institute Center for Innovative Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Aim:
To investigate the T-helper (Th1, Th2 and Th17) cell activity in the peripheral blood of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), non-Sjögren's sicca syndrome (nSS) and healthy controls.
Patients And Methods:
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 34 pSS, 13 nSS patients and 13 healthy controls were stimulated, labeled for cluster of differentiation-4 (CD4), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-17A and analyzed by flow cytometry.
Results:
The activities of Th1 and Th17 cells in patients with pSS were similar to those of the control group. The percentage of both IFN-γ- and IL-17-producing Th17/Th1-like cells was significantly higher in the pSS, as compared to the control group, whereas that of Th2 cells was lower. A significant correlation was found between all Th-subset activities in the control group. However, in the pSS group, a correlation was found only between Th1 with Th2 and Th17 and Th17 with Th17/Th1-like.
Conclusion:
The imbalance in Th-subset activities in peripheral blood may play a role in the pathogenesis of pSS.
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