Equal rights in autoimmunity: is Sjögren's syndrome ever 'secondary'?
Abstract
Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) accompanied by other systemic autoimmune rheumatic connective tissue diseases has historically been termed 'secondary' in contrast to 'primary' SjS as a standalone entity. However, it is a matter of a long-standing debate whether the prefixes 'primary' and 'secondary', including a temporal component, are obsolete in the terminology of SjS. We review the history and the pathophysiological, chronological, genetic, histological and clinical data underlying the concept of 'secondary' SjS. There are important unintended consequences of the nomenclature; notably 'secondary' SjS has been much less researched and is often excluded from clinical trials. We argue for further research, a change in terminology and more stringent classification. Further we highlight possible opportunities for trials in SjS and other systemic autoimmune diseases that might contribute to an advance in care for all patients with SjS.
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Date
2020-06-01
Type
Article
Other
Other
Subject
Rheumatology
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Citation
Kollert F, Fisher BA. Equal rights in autoimmunity: is Sjögren's syndrome ever 'secondary'? Rheumatology (Oxford). 2020 Jun 1;59(6):1218-1225. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaa009
Journal / Source Title
Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
DOI
10.1093/rheumatology/keaa009
PMID
32025734
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publisher’s URL
https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology