Thioredoxin may exert a protective effect against tissue damage caused by oxidative stress in salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate the existence of oxidative stress and the role of the antioxidant thioredoxin (TRX) in Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

METHODS

Labial biopsy specimens from patients with SS were analyzed immunohistochemically to detect 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), nitrotyrosine, and TRX. Levels of TRX in saliva and plasma were quantified by ELISA. To analyze the effect of TRX on human salivary gland (HSG) cells, recombinant TRX (rTRX)-treated HSG cells were stimulated by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) for detecting interleukin 6 (IL-6) with ELISA and RT-PCR, or stimulated with IFN-gamma and anti-Fas antibody for analyzing Fas-induced apoptosis with PI/annexin V staining.

RESULTS

Large amounts of 8-OHdG, 4-HNE, nitrotyrosine, and TRX were produced in salivary duct cells of SS patients, whether there was periductal lymphocytic infiltration or not. Strong TRX expression was detected in acinar cells from 13 of 19 SS specimens. Levels of salivary TRX were significantly higher in SS patients than in controls (p < 0.05), and were inversely related to the salivary flow rates in SS patients. Patients who showed acinar TRX expression had higher salivary TRX levels than those who did not (p < 0.05). Interferon-gamma-induced expression of IL-6 and Fas-mediated apoptosis in HSG cells were significantly suppressed by pretreating cells with rTRX.

CONCLUSION

Parallel production of oxidative stress markers together with massive secretion of TRX suggests that oxidative stress induces TRX in the salivary gland. Moreover, suppression of IL-6 production and apoptosis by rTRX in HSG cells suggests TRX acts to protect the salivary glands of SS patients from tissue damage.