Epidemiology of Sjögren Syndrome in Africa

Abstract

Background:The epidemiology of Sjögren syndrome (SS) has been extensively studied in America, Europe, and Asia.Objective: To summarize available data on the epidemiology of SS in Africa. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and African Journals Online were searched from inception up to May 17, 2020, to identify relevant articles. Data gleaned from these reports have been summarized narratively in this review.Results: Twenty-one hospital-based studies were included. These studies reported 744 cases of SS. The mean age at diagnosis varied between 28 and 73.6 years, and the female proportion ranged from 83.3% to 100%. There was no population-based incidence or prevalence. Among people with autoimmune and other rheumatic conditions, the frequency of primary SS was in the range 1.9% to 47.6%, whereas that of rheumatoid arthritisassociated secondary SS was in the range 4.3% to 100%. Sicca symptoms were the commonest features, with most frequently involved organs being joints, lungs, and neurological structures. Main autoantibodies were anti-Ro/SS antigen A, anti-La/SS antigen B, and antinuclear antibodies. Conclusions:The epidemiology of SS is poorly characterized in Africa.Available data are broadly consistent with those from other populations. Extensive and high-quality research is urgently needed.

The Critical Biomarkers Identification of Insulin Signaling Involved in Initiating cAMP Signaling Mediated Salivary Secretion in Sjogren Syndrome: Transcriptome Sequencing in NOD Mice Model

“…3 Guangzhou Concord Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. 4 Chemical Biology Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. 5 Bio-Active Compounds Discovery Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.…”

“…Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a multi-system rheumatoid inflammatory disease characterized by dry mouth, dry eyes, dry skin, and systemic multi-organ secretion disorders, causing multi-organ system damage and tumors. The high incidence of xerostomia caused by decreased salivary secretion is the acute lesion of the disease and the initiating factor of body system damage [1][2][3][4][5]. Salivary gland secretion dysfunction and structural degeneration lead to SS, which produces not only dry mouth, dry eyes, and systemic dryness, but is also often secondary to systemic diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, gastritis, liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, renal insufficiency, osteoarthritis, and neurological disorders, often accompanied by malignant tumors such as thyroid cancer, oral cancer, thymic cancer, and gastric cancer, significantly lymphoma's risk is increased by more than 40 times [6,7].…”

Primary Sjögren’s syndrome with renal tubular acidosis and central pontine myelinolysis: An unusual triad

“…It has an estimated the prevalence between 0.2 and 0.8% [ 3 ]. Literature on the prevalence of pSS in Africa is scarce, however, the reported frequency in studies ranges between 1.8% and 47.6% [ 4 ]. Classically, it occurs in women (female : male ratio 9 : 1), between the fourth and fifth decade of life.…”