Sjögren’s Syndrome News

Sodium hyaluronate artificial tears may cause deep calcium deposits in patients’ corneas if used frequently, according to a small case series in Switzerland.

The morphology of the corneal nerves is not associated with decreased corneal sensitivity in patients with dry eyes, according to a Turkish study.

SAN DIEGO – Female patients with Sjogren’s syndrome have significantly higher white blood cell counts than their male counterparts, according to a study presented Sunday at the annual Academy of Optometry meeting here. The study, presented by Barbara Caffrey, OD, was aimed at understanding the difference in inflammation markers in the serum of male and female dry eye patients. “One of the problems in analyzing sex differences in this disease is that very few men have Sjogren’s syndrome,” Dr. Caffrey said. “Clinical wisdom is that women have higher serum levels of inflammatory markers.” Through a retrospective chart review, the study looked at 185 Sjogren’s syndrome patients seen at the Toronto Western Hospital. Serum was collected from the patients. Several factors were analyzed, including immunoglobulin A (IgA), monoclonal antibodies, white blood cell count (WBC), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF) and smooth muscle antibodies (SMA). T-tests and chi-squared tests were used to compare the parameters. The study found that among the 170 females and 15 males analyzed, there were no differences in the amounts of monoclonal antibodies, ANA, RF, SMA and IgA. There was a significant difference in the WBC counts, with males showing a count of 3.7+/-1.8, and females with a count of 5.2+/-2.1.

Dry eye is a common symptom in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with a correlation between the Lansbury index and Schirmer test in RA patients with Sjogren syndrome (SS), but no correlation when the entire group was analyzed, according to a study.

Blood management in orthopedic surgery is no longer an option; it is a requirement. The combination of patient desire to avoid transfusion, increasing evidence of multiple risks, decreasing blood supplies, and increasing costs mandate attention. This article addresses the balance of risk versus benefit in blood transfusion and presents a perioperative plan of blood management for patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Using albumin as a protein supplement in artificial tear solutions may provide an option to treat ocular surface disorders associated with tear deficiency, according to animal and human studies.

Dry eye has been linked to a number of systemic diseases and, in some cases, may even result from systemic treatment.