Sjögren's syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis: immune effector cells in salivary glands.
A simultaneously capturing azo dye method for acid alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase was used to characterize the cellular infiltrate in labial salivary glands in 25 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS). There was no significant difference in the T-pattern lymphocyte percentage in situ between the untreated group with SS and the group treated with 10 +/- 2 mg prednisone/day. There was a significant correlation (P less than 0.05) between the T-pattern lymphocyte percentage in situ and the focus-score value. In secondary (2 degrees) SS in cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis, respectively, 55% +/- 4% (range 41-69) and 43% +/- 7% (range 15-80) of all inflammatory cells in the periductal lymphocyte-rich infiltrates were T-pattern lymphocytes. In other SS patients the corresponding value was 28% +/- 7% (range 4-50). The T-pattern lymphocyte percentage in situ was dependent on the disorder associated with SS (P = 0.07). The present results indicate the dominance of T-lymphocytes in situ in 2 degrees SS with SLE and suggest that there are differences in cell-mediated immunity in different clinical subgroups of SS.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes