Rational drug therapy recommendations for the treatment of patients with Sjögren's syndrome

The aetiology of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is unknown, and consequently curative treatments are not available. The immunopathogenesis of SS is partly clarified and immune-regulating drugs (IR) may therefore be of therapeutic value. However, the present understanding of SS is still too unclear to allow an exact and evidence-based algorithm for therapeutic decision making. Rational drug recommendations for the therapy of SS must, therefore, rely mostly on empirical data. Several IR drugs have been shown to be able to downregulate the immunopathological activity of primary SS, but it is not certain whether the diagnostic and cardinal manifestations from the eyes and mouth can be improved. In primary SS the disease-modifying qualities of IR and cytotoxic drugs, therefore, largely apply to the treatment of severe internal organ involvement, inflammatory vascular disease and malignant B lymphocyte disease. In secondary SS the IR therapy is directed against the basic immunoinflammatory connective tissue disease. Symptom-modifying therapies include drugs to stimulate and substitute for exocrine functions, and drugs to treat complications of the exocrine disease manifestations and to improve the various nonexocrine disease manifestations. The main drugs available for increasing lacrimal and salivary gland output are bromhexine and pilocarpine, respectively. However, exocrine substitutes, and in particular eye drops, are still the most important means of alleviating the sicca symptoms. They are also indispensable local treatment measures which may help to prevent mucosal complications.