Question
A 42-year-old female presents to the clinic with a 6-month history of a dry mouth, dry eyes, dry skin, and vaginal dryness. She has a family history of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Her blood pressure is 132/80 mmHg, pulse 68/min, respirations 16/min, and temperature 98.0 F (36.7 C). Physical examination shows dry skin and dry mucous membranes. Which of the following is most likely to be elevated in this patient?
| A. |
Anti-SSA antibodies
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| B. |
anti-histone antibodies
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| C. |
Anti centromere antibodies
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| D. |
anti-tissue transglutaminase
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Show Answer
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Correct Answer � A
Explanation
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Ans. A
Primary Sjogren syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disorder most commonly presenting with sicca symptoms. Sicca refers to dryness most often involving the eyes and mouth due to inflammation and resultant pathology of the lacrimal and salivary glands.
Sjogren syndrome frequently occurs in conjunction with other autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this setting, the authors will refer to it as secondary Sjogren or Sjogren’s-overlap syndrome. Therapies are directed toward replacing moisture at affected glandular sites and suppressing the autoimmune response locally as well as systemically.
Cevimeline is a cholinergic agonist used in the treatment of Sjogren syndrome.
Anti-SSA and anti-SSB are autoantibodies that are elevated in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus may also have elevations of these antibodies.
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