Stimulated eccrine gland function in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Rheumatology
• Physiology

Background:

• Primary Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease.
• Patients often report dry skin, but the cause is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sweat secretion rates in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.
• To determine if decreased eccrine gland function contributes to dry skin in Sjögren's syndrome.

Main Methods:

• Measured sweat secretion rate using pilocarpine iontophoresis.
• Compared 22 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome to 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in sweat secretion rates was observed between patients and controls (P = 0.45).

Conclusions:

• The complaint of dry skin in primary Sjögren's syndrome is not attributable to reduced eccrine sweat gland secretion.
• Further research is needed to identify the underlying mechanisms of skin dryness in Sjögren's syndrome.