Histologic lesion in labial salivary glands of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
In an attempt to evaluate the presence or incidence of Sjögren's syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 72 randomly selected patients with SLE, regardless of sicca manifestations, underwent labial salivary gland biopsy. Thirty-seven patients (51%) had normal labial salivary gland tissue. Seventeen patients (24%) had a mild perivascular infiltration of 15 to 20 lymphocytes per focus. In the remaining 18 patients (25%) heavy infiltration of more than 50 lymphocytes per focus was observed. From the latter group five specimens showed perivascular distribution of the infiltrates. About 40% of patients with any infiltration had keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Patients with severe lymphocytic infiltration in minor salivary gland tissue rarely had kidney involvement and often had lymphadenopathy and circulating rheumatoid factor, cryoglobulins, and antibodies to SS-A (Ro) and SS-B (La) antigens. Vasculitis was not found more frequently in any group of patients. Our results suggest that perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates in the labial salivary glands of patients with SLE may be the initial histologic lesion of Sjögren's syndrome.
Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece.
F
F
Skopouli
H
H
Siouna-Fatourou
G S
GS
Dimou
D
D
Galanopoulou
C S
CS
Papadimitriou
H M
HM
Moutsopoulos
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis; D012466:Salivary Gland Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D012217:Rheumatoid Factor