ABSTRACT
To define the clinical and immunologic pattern of expression of Sjögren syndrome (SS) associated with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we conducted a multicenter study aiming to collect a large number of patients with SS and HCV infection. Inclusion criteria were the fulfillment of at least 4 of the classification criteria for SS proposed by the European Community Study Group and repeated positive HCV serology, confirmed by recombinant immunoblot assay and/or detection of serum HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction. One hundred thirty-seven patients were included (104 female and 33 male; mean age, 65 yr). Seventy-nine (58%) patients presented a systemic process with diverse extraglandular manifestations, with articular involvement (44%), vasculitis (20%), and neuropathy (16%) being the most frequent features observed. The main immunologic features were antinuclear antibodies (65%), hypocomplementemia (51%), and cryoglobulinemia (50%). Cryoglobulins were associated with a higher frequency of cutaneous vasculitis, rheumatoid factor, and hypocomplementemia. Thirty-two (23%) patients had positive anti-Ro/SS-A and/or anti-La/SS-B antibodies; these patients were predominantly women and had a higher prevalence of some extraglandular features and a lower frequency of liver involvement. Nineteen (14%) patients developed neoplasia, with hematologic neoplasia (8 cases) and hepatocellular carcinoma (6 cases) being the most frequent types. Eighty-five percent of SS-HCV patients also fulfilled the recently proposed 2002 classification criteria for SS. In conclusion, HCV-associated SS is indistinguishable in most cases from the primary form using the most recent set of classification criteria. Chronic HCV infection should be considered an exclusion criterion for the classification of primary SS, not because it mimics primary SS, but because the virus may be implicated in the development of SS in a specific subset of patients. We propose the term "SS secondary to HCV" when these patients fulfill the 2002 classification criteria for SS.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications , Sjogren's Syndrome/complications , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Arthritis/complications , Autoantibodies/analysis , Complement System Proteins/deficiency , Cryoglobulinemia/complications , Female , Hepatitis C, Chronic/immunology , Humans , Liver Diseases/complications , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasms/complications , Parotid Gland/pathology , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/complications , Retrospective Studies , Sjogren's Syndrome/blood , Sjogren's Syndrome/immunology , Skin Diseases/complications , Vasculitis/complications , gamma-Glutamyltransferase/analysisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We aimed to asses the efficacy of pilocarpine tablets as a symptomatic treatment for dry mouth and dry eyes in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). PATIENTS AND METHOD: We included 40 patients with SS (38 women and 2 men), mean age 49.2 years (range, 35-68), with severe xerostomia and xerophthalmia. Objective tests (salivary scintigraphy, Schirmer's test, break-up time, Rose Bengal staining) and subjective tests (symptoms' questionnaire) were carried out before starting treatment and 6 months later to evaluate any glandular function improvement. RESULTS: All patients initially received 15 mg daily of pilocarpine. Twelve (30%) patients received 20 mg daily. Dry mouth-related symptoms improved in 57.5% of patients and dry eyes-related ones improved in 35%. Scintigraphic studies demonstrated an objective improvement of the glandular function in 35% patients. Ocular tests showed an improvement in 30% cases. CONCLUSIONS: Pilocarpine therapy is useful to improve xerostomia and xerophthalmia in SS patients with moderate and severe glandular involvement. However, we have not observed a good correlation between subjective improvement of symptoms and the objective test results.
Subject(s)
Miotics/therapeutic use , Pilocarpine/therapeutic use , Sjogren's Syndrome/drug therapy , Xerophthalmia/drug therapy , Administration, Oral , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Sjogren's Syndrome/complications , Treatment Outcome , Xerophthalmia/etiology , Xerostomia/drug therapy , Xerostomia/etiologyABSTRACT
FUNDAMENTO Y OBJETIVO: Evaluar la eficacia de la pilocarpina en el tratamiento de la xerostomía y xeroftalmía en pacientes afectados de síndrome de Sjögren primario. PACIENTES Y MÉTODO: Se incluyó a 40 enfermos (38 mujeres y 2 varones), con una edad media de 49,2 años (intervalo, 35-68), con xerostomía y xeroftalmía intensas. Se practicaron pruebas objetivas (gammagrafía salival, prueba de Schirmer, tiempo de rotura lagrimal, tinción corneal con rosa de Bengala) y subjetivas (cuestionario de síntomas) para valorar la función glandular antes de inicio del tratamiento y a los 6 meses. RESULTADOS: Todos los pacientes recibieron inicialmente 15 mg/día de pilocarpina distribuidos en 3 tomas; 12 (30 por ciento) recibieron 20 mg/día. El 57,5 por ciento refirió mejoría subjetiva de la xerostomía y el 35 por ciento, de la xeroftalmía. La xerostomía mejoró objetivamente en el 35 por ciento de los pacientes y la xeroftalmía, en el 30 por ciento. CONCLUSIONES: El tratamiento con pilocarpina es beneficioso en pacientes con síndrome de Sjögren primario con moderada o escasa función glandular. No siempre existe una adecuada correlación entre la mejoría objetiva y la subjetiva (AU)
