As mentioned in class, Sjögren's syndrome affects about 3 million people every year, yet most of the population has never heard of the disease. In fact Sjögren's syndrome is the second most common autoimmune disorder in the United States. Sjögren's syndrome gained some publicity when tennis start Venus Williams announced she had Sjögren's in 2011. So what is exactly is Sjögren's.
Sjögren's syndrome at a glance:
Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks exocrine glands, in particular salivary and sweat glands. Exocrine secretions like saliva and tear ducts, help play a key role as one of the first lines of defense in keeping out foreign pathogens. Almost 90% of Sjögren's patients are women and most develop Sjögren's syndrome following menopause. Although the exact cause of Sjögren's syndrome is unknown, many patients develop Sjögren's syndrome following rheumatic disorders like Rheumatoid arthritis, SLE (system lupus erythamatosus) and scleroderma. There also may be a genetic component on Sjögren's syndrome.
Signs and Symptoms:
Fatigue is one of the major problems associated withSjögren's syndrome, as well as dryness, in particular of the mouth and the eyes, but may also include skin, nose and vaginal dryness.
Sjögren's syndrome may also affect the kidneys, liver, pancreas, blood vessels, and peripheral nervous syset. Sjögren's syndrome is also aassociated with high levels of cerebral spinal fluid.
Treatment and Prognosis:
There is no cure for Sjögren's syndrome, and most of the treatments involve treating specific symptoms, like eye drops for dry eyes. The prognosis varies from patient to patient. In some the disease may enter remission and in others Sjögren's syndrome can be more serious and lead to debilitating fatigue and joint pain. People with Sjögren's syndrome are also more prone to non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
For more information feel free to check out any of the following links:
http://www.sjogrens.org/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sjogrenssyndrome.html
I had never heard of Sjögren's syndrome, but was interested by it, especially when I heard in class that fatigue is a symptom and that Venus Williams had been diagnosed with it - her career has floundered somewhat and I wondered if this may have explained it (of course there are other factors, such as injuries and age). Additional symptoms also got me thinking, primarily dry eyes. The cause of pterygium (non-cancerous growth on the eye) has never been established. It is believed that excessive outdoor exposure (sunlight and wind) may cause them, but dryness of the eyes has been shown to be associated with the growth. It would be interesting to see if Sjögren's syndrome is associated with pterygium. Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDelete"Almost 90% of Sjögren's patients are women and most develop Sjögren's syndrome following menopause."
ReplyDeleteDo you know if this disease is x-linked?
Deandra, x linked disorders affect males more than females because males only have one X chromosome while females have two (think back to hemophilia or x-linked color blindness which all predominately affect males). So no I don't think the Sjogren's is x-linked, why the disease is more common in females, I am not quite sure.
DeleteSome of the things I read think the Sjogren's prevalence amongst post menopausal women has to do with the drop in estrogen levels following menopause.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting topic to read about as I had never really heard much about Sjogren's Syndrome before. I find it particularly strange that such little information is known about it despite the fact that it is so prevalent. Although I suppose the same could be said about other common diseases such as Alzheimer's, however in that case it's not so much that we don't know about it or how it works but more-so that we don't know how to prevent or stop it. Regardless, great post!
ReplyDeleteI am glad I read this today because I have a cousin coming into town tonight who was recently diagnosed with Sjogren's and I know little about it. She was diagnosed while in boot camp for the army because of her extreme fatigue and intense joint pain. The symptoms led to her discharge. I am excited to let her know that it is a common syndrome but was surprised to hear that it typically occurs in women post-menopausal as she is only in her twenties. I am curious to find out what her physician has recommended for treatment for her symptoms but this prompted me to take a look to see what individuals are finding successful for the fatigue. I found often the fatigue is treated by hydroxychloroquine which is actually an anti-malarial drug however I could not find the mechanism in which it alleviates fatigue and joint pain. I cannot imagine how a pro athlete could be so successful with such a syndrome which I am sure gives hope to many.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sjogrens-syndrome/DS00147/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
http://www.medicinenet.com/sjogrens_syndrome/page5.htm#what_is_the_treatment_for_sjogrens_syndrome