Salivary gland scintigraphy in Sjögren's syndrome and patients with sicca symptoms but without Sjögren's syndrome: the psychological profiles and predictors for salivary gland dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
To characterise the psychological profiles of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and patients with sicca symptoms but without SS; to find predictors for salivary gland function; to evaluate salivary scintigraphy as a method to differentiate between SS and patients with sicca symptoms but without SS.


METHODS
Psychological tests (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form General Health Survey (SF-36), Jenkins Activity Survey, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Maastricht Questionnaire for vital exhaustion) were performed and assessment of the function of the salivary glands made in 26 patients with primary SS, 8 with secondary SS, and 9 with sicca symptoms but without SS. Data were analysed with BMDP new system version 1.0 statistical program.


RESULTS
Psychological profiles were similar in all groups. Hb, RF, ANA, and SSA differentiated between the groups. Results of salivary scintigraphy were predicted to 51% by ANA, SSA, SSB, IgG, IgA, diagnosis, vitality, and role limitations due to emotional problems. No predictors were found for the resting salivary flow. Salivary scintigraphy was pathological in 21/26 (81%) and in 8/8 (100%) patients with secondary SS, but only in 2/9 (22%) patients with sicca symptoms without SS (p=0.002) (sensitivity 85.3%, specificity 77.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with sicca symptoms but without SS have sickness behaviour similar to that of patients with SS. The results of salivary scintigraphy can be predicted by diagnosis and autoimmune findings; psychological characteristics added 20% to this predictive value. Distinction between SS and patients with sicca symptoms but without SS is difficult, but in addition to autoantibodies, salivary scintigraphy can be used for this purpose.
Tensing
E-K
EK
Institute of Biomedicine/Anatomy, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Nordström
D C
DC
Solovieva
S
S
Schauman
K-O
KO
Sippo-Tujunen
I
I
Helve
T
T
Natah
S
S
Ma
J
J
Li
T F
TF
Konttinen
Y T
YT
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000523:psychology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D006454:Hemoglobins; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor