[Biopsy of the mucosa of the lower lip for purposes of diagnosing Sjögren's syndrome].

Thirty biopsies of the lower lip mucosa from patients with clinical and subclinical manifestations of Sjögren syndrome were studied. The results indicate characteristic morphological changes in small salivary glands. The dynamics of these changes consists in progressive lymphoid infiltration of the gland tissue and includes 4 stages: I--weak lymphoid infiltration, II--focal lymphoid infiltration, III--focal-extensive lymphoid infiltration, IV--diffuse lymphoid infiltration, that is, lymphomatosis. In parallel with the progressive lymphoid infiltration there occur sclerosis of the stroma, atrophy and loss of parenchyma of the salivary glands in which the chemical composition of the secrete is changes as confirmed by tests done for mucus. The results obtained and data from literature permit a conclusion that Sjögren syndrome is a generalized autoimmune disease underlain by the disturbance of immunological homeostasis.