[The hepatitis B virus as a probable etiological factor in Sjögren's disease]

Various profiles of serum HBV markers (HbsAg) were identified in 16 patients, markers of active replication in 4 patients (HbeAg, 2 cases; HBcAb IgM, 1 case; HBcAb IgM and HbsAg IgM, 1 case) out of 22 patients with Sjögren disease (SD) having serum HBV markers and systemic manifestations. Of these 3 had a history of acute viral hepatitis, 12 were previously at risk to be infected with hepatitis viruses, 7 had neither the disease nor its risk factors, none of them had chronic active hepatitis or hepatic cirrhosis, 7 exhibited clinical signs of pseudolymphoma, 1 had serum monoclonal IgM kappa in the presence of HBV active replication markers (HBsAg IgM, HbcAb IgM). The present and previous data (on association of SS with chronic active hepatitis and hepatic cirrhosis due to HBV) suggest the involvement of the virus in SD etiology.