1. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Athens, Athens, Greece
2. Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Volume 29, Issue 4, December 2018
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1536309282
Mediterr J Rheumatol 2018;29(4):224-7
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Study of the incidence of osteoporosis in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and investigation of activation of the RANKL / RANK and osteoprotegerin (OPG) system
Abstract
Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is a common chronic autoimmune disease affecting 0.5-4.8% of the population. It is characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands - mainly salivary and lacrimal - resulting in oral and ocular dryness, although any organ system can virtually be affected. Among all autoimmune diseases, pSS has the highest risk for development of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and approximately 10% of patients with SS associated with increased risk for B-cell lymphoma development and high mortality rates. In pSS there are various systemic manifestations; such as arthritis, rashes, Raynaud's phenomenon, peripheral neuropathy and glomerulonephritis. Keywords: RANKL, RANK, osteoprotegerin (OPG), primary Sjögren’s syndrome, autoimmunity, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis
