Salivary CXCL-13, ultrasonography and scintigraphy in early detection of secondary Sjogren’s syndrome

Abstract

jogren‘s syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack and destroy the exocrine glands that produce tears and saliva (Delaleu et al., 2008). The discovery of novel markers and diagnostic methods is crucial for the diagnosis and management of SS, as a disease stage criteria are lacking, and there is no standardized way to monitor SS progression (Kramer et al., 2013). CXCL13 directs B-cell chemotaxis and is elevated in several autoimmune diseases. A study demonstrates that in humans CXCL13 is elevated in serum and saliva, and an elevated salivary CXCL13 level distinguishes patients with xerostomia. These data suggest a role for CXCL13 as a valuable biomarker in SS (Kramer et al., 2011). There is growing interest in searching for alternative, non-invasive and reliable diagnostic tools potentially able to improve the diagnostic algorithm of SS (Gallo et al., 2012). In this context a number of publicans have described convincing finding on the role of salivary gland US as an easy, non-invasive, non-ionized radiation and widely available imaging technique for assessment of salivary gland involvement in SS (Cornec et al., 2013 & Carotti et al., 2014). S