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Patients with Sjögren’s syndrome likely to have metabolic disorders
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Metabolic disorders may be common in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, particularly when extreme fatigue and exercise intolerance are present, according to researchers from the State University at Buffalo and the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, NY.
The researchers evaluated 32 patients who met American College of Rheumatology criteria for Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and presented with intense fatigue for disorders of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism through the use of serum lactate, carnitine and ischemic forearm testing. Muscle biopsies were also performed for genetic and biochemical studies in certain patients.
Of 32 patients initially included in the study, 30 had elevated levels of lactic acid at rest and three had abnormal ischemic forearm tests. Among the nine patients who underwent muscle biopsies, four had mitochondrial respiratory chain abnormalities, two had carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency, two had glycogen storage diseases (myophosphorylase deficiency and lactate dehydrogenase deficiency) and one had very long chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.
The researchers reported that appropriate treatment led to the resolution of symptoms in all cases. They concluded that further study into the incidence of metabolic disorders in SS, the incidence of SS in patients with metabolic disorders and the mechanisms by which the two may be related is necessary. – by Shirley Pulawski
Reference:
Suresh L, et al. Paper #2546. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. Nov. 14-19, 2014; Boston.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.