Abstract
Background It is a common opinion that Primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS) damages the exocrine glands and determines the reduction of secreted saliva, some studies show that there are qualitative anomalies of the mucins produced in saliva, including MUC7, MUC5B, MUC1. The purpose of this study is to trace all the information useful to establish whether there is a qualitative or quantitative defect of the mucins in the pSS. Material and Methods We reviewed the literature by looking for publications relevant to the topic in electronic databases. Sixteen articles met the search criteria. The studies were divided into two categories, those that studied the rheological characteristics of the saliva and those that studied the structural and / or metabolism modifications of the muciparous cells in the salivary glands. Results in Patients with pSS, xerostomia and the reduction of salivary spinnbarkeit are only partially related to the reduction of the unstimulated salivary flow. In pSS, pathological alterations of mucins’ chemical-physical properties prevail as a cause of the clinical characteristics. Moreover, in pSS there are structural and metabolism changes in salivary glands’ muciparous cells. Conclusions There is much evidence that supports the presence of qualitative alterations in the saliva’s rheological properties in Patients with pSS, and these are the main cause, more than the reduction of the unstimulated salivary flow, of the disease clinical characteristics - dry mouth and complications in the oral cavity. Therefore we propose to add to the classification criteria of pSS also a qualitative test of salivary glycoproteins. Key words:Primary Sjögren's syndrome, mucin, MUC7, MUC5B, MUC1, sulphate oligosaccharides.
Highlights
Primary Sjögren's Syndrome is an autoimmune disease that predominantly affects the exocrine glands compromising their secreting functions, resulting in xerophthalmia if it affects the lacrimal glands and/or xerostomia if it affects the salivary glands and/or genital dryness if it affects the glands of the vaginal mucosa
The studies were divided into two categories, those that studied the rheological characteristics of saliva as a function of its glycoprotein mucins (8 articles) and those that studied the structural and/or metabolism modifications of the mucous cells (8 articles) in the minor salivary glands or submaxillary or sublingual glands. - Evidence, traced in the literature, of the qualitative anomalies of the Saliva Rheological Properties and Mucin Glycosylation In 8 articles, the pathological modifications of the mucins chemical and physical properties were studied: namely viscosity, elasticity, stickiness
In 2007 Alliende C et al [14] made a study on sulfur glycoprotein MUC5B inside minor salivary glands’ (MSG); this study showed that there is a reduction, not statistically significant, of the mRNA of MUC5B and of the glycoprotein itself, on the other hand there was a significant decrease in total sulphate oligosaccharides and in the sulfurization process
Summary
Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease that predominantly affects the exocrine glands compromising their secreting functions, resulting in xerophthalmia if it affects the lacrimal glands and/or xerostomia if it affects the salivary glands and/or genital dryness if it affects the glands of the vaginal mucosa. MUC1 is a glycoprotein (250-500 kDa) which through a transmembrane domain is linked to the cell membranes in the apical portion of the epithelium of the oral mucosa and salivary glands [5]. It has a protective function, by binding to pathogens, and hydration function of the oral surface, but it is function in the oral environment remains uncertain. It is a common opinion that Primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS) damages the exocrine glands and determines the reduction of secreted saliva, some studies show that there are qualitative anomalies of the mucins produced in saliva, including MUC7, MUC5B, MUC1. In pSS there are structural and metabolism changes in salivary glands’ muciparous cells
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