Sicca symptoms, and lacrimal and salivary flow in Albanian patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Sicca symptoms and reduced lacrimal and salivary flow were common manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis and should be given adequate consideration during management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Subjective and Objective Measures of Dryness Symptoms in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome: Capturing the Discrepancy

“…As found in other studies, the relationship between subjective and objective measures was weaker for ocular dryness than for oral dryness . Ocular dryness sensitivity was predicted by greater pain and fatigue, whereas age and disease damage were significant negative predictors, suggesting that older patients and those with more severe disease are relatively more stoical.…”

Serologic profile and clinical markers of Sjögren syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

“…26 Several lines of evidence have indicated a higher prevalence of oral or ocular signs and symptoms in patients with RA. 22,27 The prevalence of oral and ocular symptoms in these patients is reported to range from 11% to 65%, whereas the prevalence of reduced tear and salivary flow varies from 21 to 70.7 and 12% to 40%, respectively. 22 Table IV compares the frequency of oral signs and symptoms in patients with RA in several studies from 1999 to date.…”

“…Second, and more commonly, SS may follow RA in a RA/SS scenario. Furthermore, sicca symptoms are classically described as an extraarticular manifestation of RA, 22 and it may make the diagnosis of SS even more unlikely. Clinicians should consider that patients with RA/SS present a plethora of systemic complications (e.g., anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, interstitial lung disease, autoimmune liver disease, and kidney disease 23 ) so that the diagnosis of sSS is warranted in order to allow prompt recognition and adequate management of the associated conditions.…”

Salivary hypofunction: An update on aetiology, diagnosis and therapeutics

“…16,84 The American College of Rheumatology proposed, in 2012, classification criteria for Sjö gren's syndrome based on objective measures such as serum antibody titre, presence of focal lymphocytic sialadenitis and ocular staining score. 85 Besides Sjö gren, others rheumatological chronic inflammatory disorders may be associated with salivary hypofunction such as rheumatoid arthritis, 86,87 systemic lupus erythematosus, 88,89 juvenile idiopathic arthritis, 90 and primary biliary cirrhosis. 91 Autoimmune inflammation of the salivary glands is frequently observed in those patients.…”