Sjögren’s Syndrome News

The 2016 American College of Rheumatology-European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for the diagnosis of primary Sjögren’s syndrome has a significantly higher sensitivity, and lower specificity, than the three other sets of criteria currently available, according to research published in Annals of the Rheumatic Disease.

MADRID — Recent diagnosis with Sjögren’s syndrome appears to be significantly linked to a history of nontuberculous mycobacteria infection, according to findings presented at the EULAR Annual Congress.

Sexual dysfunction and intimacy issues may rank high among the complaints reported by patients with rheumatic diseases, but these complaints often remain unaddressed in the clinical setting, for several reasons. Poor communication between physicians and patients is the most likely explanation, along with poor communication between patients and their partners. However, the reasons for this communication gap, which may range from stigma to time constraints in the clinic, are up for debate.

Rituximab was not effective for relief of symptomatic fatigue and oral dryness in patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome, according to a recently published analysis.

The Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation has released its first treatment guidelines for the management of Sjögren’s syndrome, according to a recently published report.

According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation, patients with Sjögren’s syndrome reported visiting almost five health care professionals per year.

For generations, it has been a dream of oncologists to harness the immune system to defeat cancer. William B. Coley, MD, an innovative cancer surgeon of the late 19th century, recognized the likelihood for regression of head and neck cancers when the immune system was stimulated by certain infections.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been in heavy use in major cancer centers for more than a decade. These drugs are now used for several malignancies. It has been established, somewhat anecdotally, that these are associated with myiad rheumatic complications. While larger, more comprehensive and more rigorous data sets are beginning to emerge, questions remain.

Precision medicine is rapidly racing forward and, for those of us who are watching, it may be reasonable to ask “What will this mean for me?” The most obvious question might be whether we should seek to be early adopters or lay low and wait for the dust to settle.

The NIH recently commissioned $55 million for studies to investigate precision medicine. While it remains to be seen how many of those dollars will be used in rheumatic diseases, the message is clear: Medicine is moving steadily toward personalized approaches.