Abstract
Arthritis, myositis, serositis and fever are regarded as inflammatory manifestations in PSS. The purpose of this study is to clarify the clinical significance and immunological background of those inflammatory manifestations.
Arthritis was observed in 22 of 60 patients with PSS. A group of patients with arthritis revealed significantly higher frequencies of rheumatoid factor and RNP antibody but lower frequency of Og antibody than the other group of patients. Myositis was observed in 6 patients including 2 patients who had Jo-1 antibody which was only detected in polymyositis patients. Pericarditis defined clinically was found in only 2 patients, but pericardial effusion was demonstrated in 8 of 30 patients using echocardiography.
A group of patients with at least one of those inflammatory manifestations was not associated with the manifestations based on fibrotic and severe vascular changes. The high frequencies of the immunological abnormalities including hypergammaglobulinemia, (19/24), rheumatoid factor (21/24) and RNP antibody (12/22) were demonstrated in this group. Those findings suggested that a humoral immune abnormarity may be a factor in the pathogenesis of inflammatory manifestations in PSS.
