title: Signal hyperintensities on brain magnetic resonance imaging in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome and frequent episodic tension-type headache: relation to platelet serotonin level and disease activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine differences in number and size of signal hyperintensities (SH) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) and controls who all had frequent episodic tension-type headache (FETH), and to investigate their relation to platelet serotonin level (PSL), patient age, disease duration, and activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  SH in 22 pSS patients with FETH were compared to 20 aged-matched controls with FETH, using the modified semiquantitative rating scale. Spectrofluorimetry was used for determination of PSL, and the European League Against Rheumatism SS Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) for disease activity assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant differences in the total number of SH were noted infratentorially (p = 0.025) and in the basal ganglia for lesions of diameter > 5 mm (p = 0.048). Significant correlations were found between disease duration and number of overall lesions > 5 mm (p = 0.04) and subcortical lesions of diameter 2-5 mm (p = 0.035). Number of periventricular SH inversely correlated to PSL (p = 0.019) and to patient age (p = 0.004), without association with markers of immunoinflammation and ESSDAI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that SH on brain MRI are more common in specific regions of the brain in pSS patients with FETH than in controls with FETH, signifying a more widespread cerebral vasculopathy in SS patients with FETH. Periventricular SH seem to be associated to increased platelet serotonin release in pSS patients with FETH and correlated with disease duration, without correlation to the actual ESSDAI and markers of immunoinflammation, and might be linked with chronic immunoinflammation of low-grade intensity and vasculitis in pSS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zagreb, Croatia. helenasarac@hi.t-com.hr
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Šarac
authors.forename: Jasenka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Markeljević
authors.forename: Viktorija
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Erdeljić
authors.forename: Zeljka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Josipović-Jelić
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hajnšek
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klapan
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Batinica
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baršić
authors.forename: Jadranka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sertic
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dobrila Dintinjana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000473:pathology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin
keywords: ESSDAI; SEROTONIN; SIGNAL HYPERINTENSITIES; SJÖGREN SYNDROME