Faecal Levels of Calprotectin Are Increased in Patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome and Correlates with Disease Activity

Thomas Mandl¹, Bodil Ohlsson² and Kristofer Andreasson³, ¹Dept of Rheumatology, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden, ²Dept of Internal Medicine, Skane University Hospital Malmo, Lund University, Sweden, Malmo, Sweden, ³Dept of Rheumatology, Skane University Hospital Lund, Lund University, Sweden, Lund, Sweden

Meeting: 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Date of first publication: September 29, 2015

Keywords: biomarkers and gastrointestinal complications, Sjogren's syndrome

Session Information

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Session Title: Sjögren's Syndrome: Translational Insights into Sjögren's Syndrome

Session Type: ACR Poster Session C

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: FC is a validated biomarker differentiating inflammatory bowel disease from irritable bowel syndrome. We have evaluated faecal levels of calprotectin (FC) in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) in reference to patient reported indices of gastrointestinal discomfort as well as clinical features of pSS.

Methods: Fourty-four consecutive pSS patients (median 62 (IQR 55, 69) years, 43 females), diagnosed according to the American-European Classification Criteria (AECC), were recruited from the open clinic at the Dept of Rheumatology, Malmö, Sweden and included in the study. Patients were evaluated by patient reported indices of GI disease (the Rome III diagnostic questionnaire for the adult functional GI disorders and Scoring Algorithm) and Sjögren’s syndrome (the EULAR Sjögren’s syndrome patient reported index, ESSPRI). Disease activity was evaluated by the EULAR Sjögren’s syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI). FC was measured in stool samples with a commercially available ELISA using a monoclonal antibody (Bühlmann Laboratories, Schönenbuch, Switzerland). For comparison, FC levels were evaluated in 21 healthy hospital workers (median age 56 (IQR 47, 58) years, 17 females), not currently treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or proton pump inhibitors.

Results: pSS patients displayed significantly increased levels of FC in comparison to healthy controls (41 mg/g (20, 118) vs. 20 mg/g (20, 53); p=0.036). Of the pSS patients, 39% fulfilled the Rome III criteria for IBS. FC levels correlated significantly with the ESSDAI total score (rs=0.40; p=0.008) whilst not with the ESSPRI total score. Furthermore, patients fulfilling Rome III criteria for IBS had significantly increased ESSDAI (10 (7,10) vs. 5 (0, 9); p=0.028) and ESSPRI total scores (7 (6, 9) vs. 6 (4, 7); p=0.029), but did not show any increased levels of FC (47 mg/g (20, 70) vs. 41 mg/g (20, 128); p=0.415).

Conclusion: FC levels are moderately increased in pSS patients and show a moderate association with disease activity. pSS patients fulfilling the criteria for IBS did not show increased levels of FC but had higher disease activity as well as increased scores in the Sjögren’s syndrome patient reported index. We suggest that FC has potential as an objective biomarker in pSS.

Disclosure: T. Mandl, None; B. Ohlsson, None; K. Andreasson, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Mandl T, Ohlsson B, Andreasson K. Faecal Levels of Calprotectin Are Increased in Patients with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome and Correlates with Disease Activity [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/faecal-levels-of-calprotectin-are-increased-in-patients-with-primary-sjogrens-syndrome-and-correlates-with-disease-activity/. Accessed March 21, 2023.

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