[Primary Sjögren's syndrome: Expression of NF-κB in minor salivary glands]

Purpose: To evaluate nuclear NF-κ B translocation in minor salivary glands (mSG) of human primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS).

Methods: Lip biopsies' mSG were done in 24 female patients with pSS from the Rheumatology Service of Rivadavia Hospital. Glands were stained with H&E and immunostained for NF-κ B. Specimens were classified according to the Chisholm and Masson score.

Results: The biopsies (H&E staining) showed lymphoplasmocitic infiltrates, forming periacini and periductal focuses which number depending on the stage of the disease. In stages III and IV there was acini destruction and, in some cases, fibrosis. In the biopsies with a diagnosis of sialadenitis we observed interstitially-dispersed lymphoplasmocitic elements and also polimorphonuclear neutrophils. The lip biopsies' mSG of patients with clinical-serological diagnosis of pSS showed nuclear translocation of NF-κ B in lymphocytes of focal infiltrates and in the acini epithelium adjacent to the infiltrates. In distal acini and ductal structures from the infitrates we did not observe nuclear translocation. However, in SSp patients with sialadenitis interstitial lymphocytes with nuclear translocation were observed but neither in the acini or the ducts. SSp patients with normal glands did not show nuclear translocation of NF-κ B factor either in the acini or in the ducts.

Conclusions: These results allow us to infer the importance of lymphocyte-epithelium interaction on the activation of NF-κ B in human pSS.