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Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Salivary Glands for Sjogren's Syndrome: Diagnostic and Monitoring Insights
Published on: October 13, 2023
Infections increase the risk of developing Sjögren's syndrome
J Mofors1, E V Arkema2, A Björk1
1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Journal of Internal Medicine
|March 21, 2019
Summary
Infections significantly elevate the risk of developing primary Sjögren
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology and Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Autoimmune Diseases
Background:
- Environmental factors are implicated in rheumatic disease pathogenesis.
- The role of infections in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) development requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between infections and the risk of developing primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS).
- To explore if specific infection types or autoantibody status modify this risk.
Main Methods:
- A Swedish population-based case-control study.
- Included 945 patients with pSS and 9,048 matched controls.
- Infections identified from the National Patient Register over a mean of 16 years; analyzed using conditional logistic regression.
Main Results:
- A history of infection was associated with a 1.9-fold increased risk of pSS.
- Infections, particularly respiratory, skin, and urogenital, significantly increased pSS risk, especially for autoantibody-positive cases (SSA/SSB).
- A dose-response relationship was observed between infections and the risk of developing autoantibody-positive pSS.
Conclusions:
- Infections are linked to an increased risk of developing primary Sjögren's syndrome.
- Microbial triggers may play a role in the pathogenesis of pSS, particularly the autoantibody-positive form.
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