[Clinico-morphological characteristics of Sjögren's syndrome (biopsy and autopsy data)]

Sixty patients with Sjogren's disease (SD) were examined. In all the patients--women aged 23 to 70, apart from the generalized "dry syndrome", there were signs of involvement of other organs and systems. Biopsy and autopsy material was studied histologically and histochemically, in some cases immunofluorescent and electron-microscopical study was performed. The most pronounced morphological and clinical manifestations of SD were linked with the damage to exocrine glands. Their alterations were represented by delayed type hypersensitivity and were similar in all exocrine glands, hence the exocrine tissue might be regarded as a target tissue in SD. One of the mechanisms of the exocrine tissue damage is connected with a mutual duct antigen of exocrine glands represented by the serum component IgA. The involvement of certain organs and systems with the development of chronic persistent hepatitis, fibrosing alveolitis, mesangioproliferative and tubulointerstitial nephritis, pronounced hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue with its plasmatization and generalized affection of the microcirculatory system of the immunocomplex nature, is noted in SD with various frequency.