No difference in endothelial microvasculation measured by peripheral arterial tonometry in patients with Sjögren’s disease and matched controls

TL;DR

This study found no difference in endothelial function between Sjögren’s disease patients and healthy controls using peripheral arterial tonometry.

Contribution

The study evaluates endothelial function in Sjögren’s disease patients and finds no significant difference compared to controls.

Findings

No differences in reactive hyperemia index were observed between Sjögren’s disease patients and controls.

Increased body mass index was the only significant predictor of a low reactive hyperemia index.

Abstract

Sjögren’s disease (SjD) is a connective tissue autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammatory infiltration of the exocrine glands, leading to symptoms such as dryness, pain, and fatigue. Additionally, up to 50% of patients may experience extraglandular manifestations. SjD patients face a higher cardiovascular risk, including severe events like myocardial infarction and strokes, partly due to an increased likelihood of subclinical atherosclerosis. Therefore, identifying SjD patients at an early stage is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality. In this study, SjD patients who met the current ACR/EULAR 2016 classification criteria were consecutively enrolled in our outpatient clinic. A control cohort was recruited through a multimedia call for participation. To assess changes in endothelial functions, a reactive hyperemia index (RHI) was calculated using peripheral arterial tonometry with the EndoPAT® measurement device. RHI values below 1.67 were considered pathological. The dataset consists of 49 SjD patients and 27 healthy controls. Both groups had similar ages and comparable cardiovascular risk factors. No differences in RHI were observed between the two cohorts. The only significant factor that was predictive for a low RHI was an increased body mass index (p = 0.036). These findings suggest that EndoPAT measurements may not be a suitable method for detecting changes in endothelial function specific to patients with SjD.

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