Síndrome de Sjögren primario: características clínicas e inmunológicas de 114 pacientes

Potentially inappropriate anticholinergic drug prescriptions for patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Sjögren's syndrome is characterized by the involvement of exocrine glands, manifesting with xerostomia and xerophthalmia. The objective was to determine the treatment received and identify potentially inappropriate prescriptions by estimating the anticholinergic burden generated by medications in patients with Sjögren's syndrome in Colombia. This cross-sectional study was based on a population database that identified patients with Sjögren's syndrome, comorbidities, pharmacological treatment, and medications with anticholinergic properties. The anticholinergic burden was estimated using the Anticholinergic Drug Scale. A total of 4945 patients with Sjögren's syndrome were identified, with a mean age of 64.6 ± 14.04 years and 75.7% women. A total of 79.0% received a topical lubricant, with hyaluronate being the most prescribed (26.8%), while oral pilocarpine was prescribed for 7.4%. The use of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs was identified in 1.3% of cases. A total of 39.1% (n = 1932) of all patients received cholinergic antagonists, especially codeine (6.5%), prednisolone (5.7%), and furosemide (5.3%). The mean anticholinergic burden was 0.91 ± 1.57 (range: 0-24), 17.2% (n = 850) had a score of 1, 7.7% (n = 381) had a score of 2, and 14.2% (n = 701) ≥3 points. Multiple comorbidities were associated with the risk of having cholinergic antagonist medication prescribed. Most patients with Sjögren's syndrome were women whose symptomatic management mainly included ocular lubricants with low use of oral pilocarpine. A large proportion of patients had at least one cholinergic antagonist drug prescribed, increasing its use risk after 40 years of age.

Hepatitis C virus, Sjögren's syndrome and B-cell lymphoma: linking infection, autoimmunity and cancer

An increased prevalence of hematologic malignancies is often described in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Viruses have been proposed as possible etiologic or triggering agents of systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs), with hepatitis C virus (HCV) being one of the viruses most frequently associated with autoimmune features and with systemic autoimmune diseases such as mixed cryoglobulinemia or SS. Moreover, the association between HCV infection and hematologic malignancies, mainly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), is supported by several studies. For these reasons, the recognized association of specific systemic autoimmune diseases (mainly SS and mixed cryoglobulinemia) with HCV infection, added to the possible evolution of any one of these entities into a B-cell NHL, suggests the possibility of a close relationship among SS, HCV and B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, especially in patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia.

[Usefulness of oral pilocarpin therapy in the treatment of xerostomia and xerophthalmia in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

We aimed to asses the efficacy of pilocarpine tablets as a symptomatic treatment for dry mouth and dry eyes in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

PATIENTS AND METHOD

We included 40 patients with SS (38 women and 2 men), mean age 49.2 years (range, 35-68), with severe xerostomia and xerophthalmia. Objective tests (salivary scintigraphy, Schirmer's test, break-up time, Rose Bengal staining) and subjective tests (symptoms' questionnaire) were carried out before starting treatment and 6 months later to evaluate any glandular function improvement.

RESULTS

All patients initially received 15 mg daily of pilocarpine. Twelve (30%) patients received 20 mg daily. Dry mouth-related symptoms improved in 57.5% of patients and dry eyes-related ones improved in 35%. Scintigraphic studies demonstrated an objective improvement of the glandular function in 35% patients. Ocular tests showed an improvement in 30% cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Pilocarpine therapy is useful to improve xerostomia and xerophthalmia in SS patients with moderate and severe glandular involvement. However, we have not observed a good correlation between subjective improvement of symptoms and the objective test results.