When Killers Become Helpers

摘要

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects mainly the exo-crine glands. By current estimates, approx0.5% of the population is afflicted with some form of SS, making it one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases. SS is denned clinically either as primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) or as secondary SS when accompanied by other autoimmune manifestations, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Although the major symptoms of SS are dry eyes and mouth, systemic effects often manifest as peripheral neuropathies with severe fatigue and pain. SS patients develop circulating autoantibodies that react with multiple cellular proteins and immune (T and B cell) infiltrates within the exocrine glands, thus leading to its classification as an autoimmune disorder (1).