NAA Associated Sjögren's Syndrome (SS)
Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease, which is shown to have a close association with natural autoantibodies (NAA). Best scientists in Creative Biolabs have worked on the natural autoantibody test for many years. As a result, we are very confident to offer high-quality and all-around NAA services for global customers based on our advanced techniques such as antigen microarrays, western blotting, and ELISA.
What Is Sjögren's Syndrome?
SS is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by inflammation and dysfunction in glands of the body that are responsible for the production of tears and saliva. Inflammation of the glands producing tears (lacrimal glands) results in the decreased water production in tears and dry eyes. Inflammation of the glands producing the saliva in the mouth (salivary glands, including the parotid glands) leads to reduced saliva production and dry mouth and dry lips. SS with gland inflammation that is not associated with another connective tissue disease is referred to as primary SS. SS associated with a connective tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or scleroderma, is known as secondary SS.
Symptoms of Sjögren's Syndrome
The two main symptoms of SS are:
- Dry eyes. Your eyes might burn, itch or feel gritty - as if there's sand in them.
- Dry mouth. Your mouth might feel like it's full of cotton, making it difficult to swallow or speak.
Some people with SS may also have one or more the following symptoms:
- Joint pain, swelling, and stiffness
- Swollen salivary glands - particularly the set located behind your jaw and in front of your ears
- Skin rashes or dry skin
- Vaginal dryness
- Persistent dry cough
- Prolonged fatigue
Fig.1 SS affects tear and saliva glands, causing dryness in the eyes and mouth, among other symptoms.
What Is the Cause of Sjögren’s Syndrome?
Although the cause of SS is not clear, scientists think SS development is associated with genetic factors, hormonal factors, microchimerism factors, and environmental factors.
- Genetic factors - Certain genetic variants may increase the risk of SS occurrence.
- Hormonal factors - Women are more likely to get SS than man. Researchers identify sex hormones, especially estrogen, are believed to increase the susceptibility to SS while androgens are generally considered to prevent autoimmunity.
- Environmental factors - Viral infections such as Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis C, and human T-cell leukemia virus-1 are associated with SS development.
- Rheumatic disease - It's common that people with SS are more likely to have a rheumatic disease - such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Fig.2 Factors involved in SS trigger phase. (Parisis, et al., 2020)
How to Diagnose Sjögren’s Syndrome?
It is difficult to diagnose SS because the symptoms of SS vary from person to person, and they are similar to those in other disorders. Currently, the typical methods of SS diagnosis include blood tests, eye tests, imaging tests, sialogram, and biopsy. NAA test is one of the blood tests and assesses the illness conditions via detection of the presence of NAA in SS patients. For example, in Sjögren's patients, 60-70% have a positive rheumatoid factor (RF) autoantibodies. 70% of patients with SS are positive for anti-SSA and 40% are positive for anti-SSB. Here are the key NAA markers associated with SS.
| Natural Autoantibodies Targets in Sjögren’s Syndrome | |||
| Anti-Ro/SSA | Anti-La/SSB | Rheumatoid Factor (RF) | Anti-Mitochondrial Antibody (AMA) |
| Anti-Centromere Antibody (ACA) | Anti-Muscarinic 3 Receptor (M3R) | ||
Natural autoantibodies may be used as early biomarkers for Sjögren's Syndrome detection and prevention. Creative Biolabs is committed to offering the best and comprehensive NAA services with expertise and dedication. Besides, we also provide custom NAA services based on customers' special purpose of their project.
Please feel free to contact us for more details or a detailed quote.
Reference:
- Parisis, D.; et al. Current state of knowledge on primary Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune exocrinopathy. Journal of clinical medicine. 2020, 9(7): 2299.
Choosing natural autoantibody (NAA) microarray to profile autoantibody repertoire and reveal novel disease's marker.
- NAA Services for Anti-Mitochondrial Antibody (AMA)
- NAA Services for Anti-Centromere Antibody (ACA)
- NAA Services for Anti-Muscarinic 3 Receptor (M3R) Antibody
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- NAA and Sjogren's Syndrome