European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disorder which is responsible for glandular dysfunction most preferably salivary and lacrimal glands, caused mainly by the lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands. It can be classified into two, namely Primary Sjogren’s syndrome and Secondary Sjogren’s syndrome. Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) occurs in the absence of other autoimmune diseases and is characterised by keratoconjunctiva sicca (dry eyes) and xerostomia (dry mouth), collectively called the sicca syndrome. On the other hand, secondary Sjogren’s syndrome is associated with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The prevalence of SS is estimated to be approximately 3% in subjects 50 years or older, with a female to male ratio of 9:1. Conditions associated with SS include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus and scleroderma. The clinical manifestations are often vague and mistakenly interpreted and attributed to other medical conditions or iatrogenic disorders. As such, incorrect diagnosis of SS is common and approximately half of all patients are thought to be undiagnosed