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Sjögren's syndrome in patients with interstitial cystitis
J Van de Merwe1, R Kamerling, E Arendsen
1Department of Immunology, University Hospital Dijkzigt/Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Objective:
Patients with interstitial cystitis, a chronic nonbacterial inflammation of the bladder, were investigated for the presence of systemic autoimmune diseases, in particular for Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
Methods:
Ten patients were included in the study on the basis of a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis according to usual criteria. They underwent clinical and laboratory investigations including those for keratoconjunctivitis (KCS) and focal lymphocytic sialoadenitis (FLS).
Results:
In 2 patients both KCS and FLS were present allowing the diagnosis of primary SS according to classification criteria. Additionally, in 6 patients one of the 2 hallmarks of primary SS was present, KCS in 3 and FLS in 3.
Conclusion:
Interstitial cystitis is a new example of a disease that occurs in association with SS, supporting the concept that interstitial cystitis is an autoimmune cystitis. The clinical relevance of the finding is that a high index of suspicion for SS is indicated in patients with interstitial cystitis.