Study of the incidence of osteoporosis in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) and investigation of activation of the RANKL /RANK and osteoprotegerin (OPG) system

摘要

Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is a common chronic autoimmune disease affecting 0.5–4.8% of the population. It is characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands - mainly salivary and lacrimal - resulting in oral and ocular dryness, although any organ system can virtually be affected. Among all autoimmune diseases, pSS has the highest risk for development of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and approximately 10% of patients with SS associated with increased risk for B-cell lymphoma development and high mortality rates. In pSS there are various systemic manifestations; such as arthritis, rashes, Raynaud’s phenomenon, peripheral neuropathy and glomerulonephritis. While over the past few years, the importance of coexistence in the context of systemic autoimmune diseases such as subclinical atherosclerosis and osteoporosis has been extensively studied in pSS, data on the incidence and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of osteopenia/osteoporosis are limited.