Correlation between TCM syndrome and clinical indicators and disease activity in Sjogren's syndrome

Xinying YANG; Ke GAN; Yan LU

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To explore the correlation between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome types of Sj?gren syndrome (SS) and blood test parameters, immunological function and disease activity.

Methods:

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. The clinical data of 242 SS inpatients in the Rheumatology and Immunology Department of Jiangsu Province Hospital of TCM from February 2021 to June 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. We compared the general data (gender, age, course of disease, BMI), blood parameters [WBC, hemoglobin (Hb), PLT, neutrophil count (NEUT), lymphocyte count(LYMPH), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR)], immunological indicators (globulin, IgG, IgA, IgM, rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-SSA antibody, anti-SSB antibody, anti-Ro-52 antibody) .The distribution difference of disease activity [Disease Activity Index of Sjogren's syndrome (ESSDAI) and Patient Report Index of Sjogren's syndrome (ESSPRI)], the correlation between each syndrome type and blood routine parameters, immunological indicators and inflammatory indicators was analyzed by binary logistic regression.

Results:

They were divided into 82 cases of qi yin deficiency syndrome, 61 cases of yin deficiency and fluid deficiency syndrome, 59 cases of yin deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, 32 cases of yin deficiency and heat toxin syndrome, and 8 cases of other syndrome types. Because the number of other syndrome types was small, they were not included in this study. Logistic regression analysis showed that the positive rate of anti SSA antibody was negatively correlated with IgM [ OR (95% CI)=0.570 (0.407, 0.798)] ( P<0.01). The positive rates of anti SSB antibody and anti Ro-52 antibody were negatively correlated with LYMPH [ OR (95% CI)=0.445 (0.223, 0.886), 0.457 (0.224, 0.932), respectively] ( P<0.05). The positive rates of anti SSB antibody and anti Ro-52 antibody were positively correlated with IgG [ OR (95% CI)=1.171 (1.034, 1.325), 1.159 (1.014, 1.325), respectively] ( P<0.05). Qi Yin deficiency syndrome was positively correlated with WBC [ OR (95% CI)=2.590 (1.120, 5.987)] ( P<0.05), and negatively correlated with LYMPH [ OR (95% CI)=0.090 (0.017, 0.470)] and IgA [ OR (95% CI)=0.728 (0.553, 0.959)] ( P<0.05). Yin deficiency and fluid deficiency syndrome were negatively correlated with PLT [ OR (95% CI)=0.991 (0.984, 0.998)], ESSPRI [ OR (95% CI)=0.705 (0.506, 0.983)], ESSDAI [ OR (95% CI)=0.716 (0.534, 0.960)] ( P<0.05). Yin deficiency and blood stasis syndrome was positively correlated with IgA [ OR (95% CI)=1.184 (1.028, 1.363)] ( P<0.05), and negatively correlated with anti SSB antibody positive rate [ OR (95% CI)=0.247 (0.093, 0.659)] ( P<0.05). Yin deficiency heat toxin syndrome was positively correlated with IgA [ OR (95% CI)=1.368 (1.037, 1.803)] ( P<0.05), and negatively correlated with anti SSB antibody positive rate [ OR (95% CI)=0.278 (0.085, 0.909)] ( P<0.05).

Conclusion:

The level of immunoglobulin, inflammatory index and disease activity of yin deficiency and blood stasis syndrome and yin deficiency and heat toxin syndrome are high, and blood system damage and exocrine gland disease are easy to occur, which can provide clinical basis for the combination of disease and syndrome differentiation and treatment of SS.