Division of Advanced Preventive Medical Sciences, Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan.
Clinical Research Center, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 4;14(1):5303. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55767-2.
Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by periductal lymphocytic infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands. SS also exhibits extra-glandular manifestations and specific autoantibodies. Salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS) is a common procedure used to assess the severity of glandular involvement. However, the association between SGUS and extra-glandular lesions remains poorly understood. This study aimed to identify clinical indices, including disease activity, associated with glandular involvement using SGUS in patients with SS. We included 115 patients with SS and 90 without SS. Patients with SS had significantly higher ultrasonography (US) score than patients without SS. Multivariate analysis revealed focus score, Saxon test positivity, and anti-centromere antibody (ACA) positivity as independent variables associated with the US score in patients with SS. In addition, these results were similar to those obtained in patients with primary SS. Patients with SS and ACA positivity had higher US score and an increased prevalence of hyperechoic bands in the parotid glands and submandibular glands. In conclusion, this study indicated that ACA positivity is associated with the US score in patients with SS. These results suggest that US findings in patients with ACA positivity might show specific changes in the salivary glands, especially fibrosis.
干燥综合征（SS）是一种自身免疫性疾病，其特征是唾液腺和泪腺的导管周围淋巴细胞浸润。SS 还表现出腺外表现和特定的自身抗体。唾液腺超声检查（SGUS）是一种常用于评估腺体受累严重程度的常见程序。然而，SGUS 与腺外病变之间的关联仍知之甚少。本研究旨在确定与 SS 患者的腺体受累相关的临床指标，包括疾病活动度。我们纳入了 115 例 SS 患者和 90 例非 SS 患者。SS 患者的超声（US）评分明显高于非 SS 患者。多变量分析显示，在 SS 患者中，焦点评分、萨克斯测试阳性和抗着丝点抗体（ACA）阳性是与 US 评分相关的独立变量。此外，这些结果与原发性 SS 患者的结果相似。SS 患者和 ACA 阳性患者的 US 评分更高，腮腺和颌下腺的高回声带患病率更高。总之，本研究表明 ACA 阳性与 SS 患者的 US 评分相关。这些结果表明，ACA 阳性患者的 US 检查结果可能显示唾液腺的特定变化，尤其是纤维化。
