title: Assessing the determination of salivary electrolytes and anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies for the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess changes in salivary electrolyte flow and composition and the presence of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB serum and saliva antibodies and their implications for the non-invasive diagnosis of SS.
  
  
  METHODS
  73 patients were studied, divided into the following experimental groups: primary Sjögren syndrome (SSp) (n=15), secondary SS (SSs) (n=17), dry mouth, dry eye without Sjögren's syndrome (BO) (n=20) and healthy controls (C) (n=21). We conducted a baseline assessment of salivary flow and saliva sampling for the measurement of sodium, chlorine, potassium, calcium and phosphate electrolytes, and the determination of anti-Ro/SSA and La/SSB antibodies; a serum sampling was made to assess antibody positivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Salivary flow in SSp, SSs and BO was significantly lower (p<0.001) relative to C. The salivary composition of SS showed an increase of inorganic components. Anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies occurred more frequently in serum and saliva in SS patients compared with BO and C, with higher frequency of positivity in serum compared with saliva.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest new tools that could aid the non-traumatic diagnosis of the origin of hyposalivation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina. beabusamia@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Busamia
authors.forename: Miguel-Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gonzales-Moles
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzeo
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demarchi
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Albiero
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finkelberg
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D004573:Electrolytes; C035356:SS-A antibodies; C035357:SS-B antibodies