Insights into Patient Heterogeneity in Sjögren's Disease

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Immunology
• Autoimmune Diseases

Background:

• Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a complex autoimmune disorder affecting multiple systems.
• Key symptoms include mucosal dryness, fatigue, and pain.
• Patient heterogeneity complicates diagnosis, treatment, and clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current patient stratification approaches for Sjögren's disease.
• To highlight the need for improved methods to manage SjD.
• To inform the development of targeted therapies.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on Sjögren's disease patient stratification.
• Analysis of two primary stratification strategies: symptom-based and molecular-based.
• Examination of clinical and biological data within identified patient clusters.

Main Results:

• Two main stratification approaches are currently employed: symptom-based and molecular-based.
• Symptom-based stratification analyzes patient-reported outcomes and clinical/biological data.
• Molecular-based stratification uses molecular profiles to identify subgroups, followed by clinical analysis.

Conclusions:

• Combining stratification approaches offers significant potential for recognizing SjD subgroups.
• This integration can facilitate the development of personalized treatment strategies.
• Current research suggests 3-4 SjD patient subgroups exist, but their nature (stages vs. endotypes) requires further investigation.