Genetics in Sjögren's syndrome: where we are and where we go

Sjögren's syndrome is a complex autoimmune disease that involves dysregulation of immune responses that preferentially target exocrine glands. Systemic manifestations vary and may involve nearly every organ system. Genetic studies to date are in their infancy relative to other autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, each with more than 100 genetic associations now established. However, recent work in SS has successfully established associations that shed light on pathophysiology and implicate aberrant innate and adaptive immune responses. In this review, we provide an overview of genetic approaches used to identify risk variants in SS, discuss major findings and their relevance to SS, and describe the future directions that are likely to lead to understanding fundamental causes of this disease and new opportunities for improving clinical care.