“We looked at respiratory infections, with the SSA/Ro-, SSB/Ro-positive patients having a stronger association than the corresponding rate of SSA-, SSB-negative patients,” explained Mr. Mofors. “Interestingly, as we looked at patients with skin infections, we observed an association with the SSA-, SSB-positive patients having a stronger association than the negative patients.”
Investigators also tested gastrointestinal infections, but found no clear association to Sjögren’s.
Presence of more than one infection also appeared to increased disposition of patients to Sjögren’s syndrome, although it depended on the type of infection, Mr. Mofors said at the meeting, which was sponsored by Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health.
Patients with multiple respiratory infections showed a stronger association to Sjögren’s, patients with SSA- or SSB-positive infection displaying even stronger prevalence, and patients with skin infections showed a dose-response pattern.