News

Scores of events are afoot worldwide to mark Feb. 28, Rare Disease Day 2019. The activities aim to raise awareness about rare diseases and the millions of people — estimates run as high as 350 million — they are thought to impact. Across countries, patients, caregivers and advocates will paint faces, wear…

A supervised walking program, practiced three times a week for 16 weeks, safely improves cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise capacity while reducing fatigue in women with primary Sjögren’s syndrome, a clinical study found. The study, “Supervised walking improves cardiorespiratory…

Activating the immune receptor Ly9 significantly reduces the infiltration of immune cells into the salivary glands and kidneys of mice with Sjögren’s syndrome-like disease, without compromising their general immune system — making it a potential therapeutic target for the chronic condition, a study finds. The study, “Ly9 (CD229)…

Vaginal dryness in premenopausal women with primary Sjögren’s syndrome does not change the normal vaginal bacterial composition, a study reveals. The study, “Normal vaginal microbiome in women with primary Sjögren’s syndrome-associated vaginal dryness,” was published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Immune cells…

The PI3K-delta inhibitor known as seletalisib, an investigative treatment for primary Sjögren’s syndrome, improved the production of saliva, lowered the levels of autoantibodies and inflammatory mediators, and decreased immune B- and T-cell infiltration in salivary glands in a mouse model, study researchers report. The study, “Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase delta…

Sonoelastography, a fast and non-invasive imaging technique that detects increases in tissue rigidity in salivary glands, may help to diagnosis of primary Sjögren’s syndrome, a study suggests. The study, “Is sonoelastography a helpful method of evaluation to diagnose Sjögren’s syndrome?,” was published in the International…

Cash-strapped governments across the 28-member European Union are struggling to control runaway healthcare expenditures — at exactly the same time as the promise of new but expensive therapies to treat rare diseases has never been greater. That’s the paradox faced by pharmaceutical companies as well as patient advocacy groups in…

Patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) share their gut microbial composition, which is different from the general population. Oral microbial composition, however, in different in both patient groups. The research, “Shared gut, but distinct oral microbiota composition in primary Sjögren’s syndrome…

Difficulties with engaging in sex — including arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction — are significant in women with primary Sjögren’s syndrome compared to healthy women, and sexual function decreases as disease duration increases, a study reports. The findings, “Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome Adversely Affects the Female Sexual Function Assessed by…

A combination of leflunomide and hydroxychloroquine significantly reduced disease activity, increased salivary flow, and improved patient-perceived health in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome, a pilot trial showed. Findings of the trial were revealed at the recent American College of Rheumatology 2018 Meeting, in Chicago. Timothy Radstake, MD, PhD, from the …