Dataset Information

Histopathology, salivary flow and ultrasonography of the parotid gland: three complementary measurements in primary Sjogren's syndrome.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The involvement of salivary glands in primary SS (pSS) can be assessed in different ways: histopathology, salivary flow and ultrasonography. To understand the relative value of these different approaches, it is crucial to understand the relationship between them. As we routinely perform these three modalities in the parotid gland for disease evaluation, our aim was to investigate the construct validity between these modalities in one and the same gland.

Methods

Consecutive sicca patients underwent a multidisciplinary diagnostic workup including parotid gland biopsy, collection of parotid gland-specific saliva and parotid gland ultrasonography. Patients who were classified as pSS according to the ACR-EULAR criteria were included. Construct validity was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficients.

Results

The 41 included pSS patients completed a full workup within a mean time interval of 2.6 months. Correlations between histopathological features and stimulated parotid salivary flow were fair (ρ = -0.123 for focus score and ρ = -0.259 for percentage of CD45+ infiltrate). Likewise, poor correlations were observed between stimulated parotid salivary flow and parotid ultrasonography (ρ = -0.196). Moderate to good associations were found between the histopathological items focus score and the percentage of CD45+ infiltrate, with parotid US scores (total US score: ρ = 0.510 and ρ = 0.560; highest for homogeneity: ρ = 0.574 and ρ = 0.633).

Conclusion

Although pSS-associated ultrasonographic findings did correlate with histopathological features, the three modalities that evaluate salivary gland involvement assess different (or at best partly related) constructs. Therefore histopathology, salivary flow and ultrasonography are complementary measurements and cannot directly replace each other in the workup of pSS.

SUBMITTER: Mossel E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9157128 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Histopathology, salivary flow and ultrasonography of the parotid gland: three complementary measurements in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Mossel Esther E van Ginkel Martha S MS Haacke Erlin A EA Arends Suzanne S Liefers Silvia C SC Delli Konstantina K van Nimwegen Jolien F JF Stel Alja J AJ Spijkervet Fred K L FKL Vissink Arjan A van der Vegt Bert B Kroese Frans G M FGM Bootsma Hendrika H

Rheumatology (Oxford, England) 20220501 6

<h4>Objective</h4>The involvement of salivary glands in primary SS (pSS) can be assessed in different ways: histopathology, salivary flow and ultrasonography. To understand the relative value of these different approaches, it is crucial to understand the relationship between them. As we routinely perform these three modalities in the parotid gland for disease evaluation, our aim was to investigate the construct validity between these modalities in one and the same gland.<h4>Methods</h4>Consecuti ...[more]

PMID: 34672336

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