News

People with a history of herpes zoster infection, mainly those with no other health conditions, are at an increased risk of developing Sjögren’s syndrome, according to a nationwide, population-based study in Taiwan. Its researchers emphasized the importance of screening for Sjögren’s in patients with herpes zoster infection, particularly among…

Age, disease duration, and blood levels of inflammatory markers Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) and TNF-alpha are the most discriminating factors for identifying Sjögren’s syndrome patients with interstitial lung disease, a study found. While less significantly associated, other inflammatory markers, including immunoglobulin M (IgM), c-reactive protein (CRP), eotaxin, and…

Sugar metabolism — all chemical reactions involved in making or breaking down glucose, or blood sugar — is overly active in B-cells, a type of immune cell implicated in Sjögren’s syndrome, and may provide a target for developing treatments, a study suggests. The study, “mTORC1-GLUT1-mediated glucose metabolism drives…

People with Sjögren’s syndrome are more likely to require inpatient hospital care for infections acquired in the community, especially those of the airways and intestines, according to a large nationwide French study. “[Sjögren’s] patients had a significantly higher incidence rate of hospitalization for bronchopulmonary infections compared with matched [healthy…

Cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells, a type of immune cells, build up in the salivary glands of the lips of patients with severe Sjögren’s syndrome, where they may kill the epithelial cells that line the glands, according to a new study. As these cells die, the glands no longer can produce…

A protein called ETS1 is present in large amounts in cells in the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, where it may turn on a switch to make more of MMP-9, another protein that has been implicated in the early development of the disease, a study found. Researchers…

The investigational therapy dazodalibep markedly eased disease activity in people with Sjögren’s syndrome with moderate-to-high systemic disease activity, meeting the primary goal of a Phase 2 trial. Ahead of expectations, the therapy’s developer, Horizon Therapeutics, plans to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to design…

A non-invasive imaging technique called in vivo confocal microscopy, or IVCM for short, was found to detect changes in the density and structure of nerve fibers in the cornea of the eyes in adults with Sjögren’s syndrome. IVCM’s ability to detect such changes in the corneal nerves support its…

The anti-malaria medication artesunate could be a potential treatment of Sjögren’s syndrome, a study suggested. In mouse and cellular models, artesunate showed an ability to inhibit inflammatory T-helper 17 (Th17) cells and ease Sjögren’s symptoms. The study, “Artesunate suppresses Th17 response via inhibiting IRF4- mediated glycolysis…

Memory complaints in people with primary Sjögren’s syndrome are linked to global cognitive impairment — problems affecting not only memory but also other mental faculties, according to data from a small study. While researchers noted that “associated psychiatric and sleep disorders greatly interfere” with cognition in Sjögren’s patients, they…