Translational research in sjogren's syndrome

Abstract

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the exocrine glands, particularly affecting lacrimal and salivary glands. Hallmark symptoms are dry mouth and dry eye, often in conjunction with general symptoms, such as malaise and fatigue. Lymphomas could develop in 5-10% of the patients. As SS is a rather complex syndrome with many features, the one patient being diagnosed with SS may suffer from a different complex of complaints than another SS patient and may thus be in need of a different treatment approach. To better classify SS patients and to personalize their treatment, many clinicians and researchers are currently working on efforts (1) to refine classification of SS patients, (2) to ease the diagnostic work-up of SS, and (3) to better understand the etiopathogenesis of SS. Latter knowledge is essential to understand the course of the disease. This way clinicians will be able to identify patients who are at risk of developing SS or lymphomas; can intervene at an early stage of the disease to prevent damage to, e.g., the glands; as well as can personalize treatment with, e.g., biologicals. In this chapter, current major achievements are discussed, and promising new directions are indicated.