José Lopes, PhD, managing science editor —

Use of big data machine learning to study autoimmune diseases is on the rise, but little focus has been devoted to primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS), a French study reports. The study, “Pathogenesis-based treatments in primary Sjogren’s syndrome using artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning techniques: a…

Raynaud’s phenomenon and liver injury are among the risk factors for the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) – high blood pressure in the arteries that goes from the heart to the lungs – in primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) patients, a new study shows. The research, “…

Low salivary secretion contributes more to the altered oral microbiome found in people with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) than does the underlying disease, a Dutch study shows. The research, “Reduced salivary secretion contributes more to changes in the oral microbiome of patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome than underlying disease,”…

Patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) have high levels of an inflammatory protein known as interleukin-17 (IL-17), Chinese researchers report. IL-17 levels also correlate with the severity of the disease, suggesting that scientists could develop a treatment around the molecule, also called a cytokine. The study, “…

Sjogren’s syndrome patients with chronic dry eyes have higher medical costs than people with dry eyes who don’t have Sjogren’s, a study from Eastern China shows. The research also points to a link between anxiety and medical costs for dry eye treatment in Sjogren’s patients. The study, “…

Chinese who develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) from primary Sjogren’s syndrome have worse survival rates if their PAH appears late or if they have poorer cardiac function, a new study shows. The findings, published in the journal Lupus, also show that patients taking immunosuppressants have better survival rates. Sjogren’s syndrome,…

The protocol of a Phase 4 trial testing Wize Pharma‘s LO2A eye drops for the treatment of dry eye symptoms in Sjogren’s syndrome patients has received regulatory approval. Clearance from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) means the study is now allowed to start. The double-blind trial (NCT03319420), to be…

Pilocarpine is an effective treatment for mouth and eye dryness in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome, a Phase 4 trial from Chile showed. The trial compared the medicine to artificial saliva for 12 weeks in patients with primary and secondary Sjogren’s syndrome. At the end of the study, most patients in the…