Immunohisto- and cytochemical examinations in labial salivary glands from Sjögren's syndrome patients with sensory neuropathy

Background and aim: A predominance of sensory neuropathy was earlier described in Sjögren's syndrome (SS), which might precede the presence of sicca symptoms. The mechanism of sensory neuropathy in SS is unknown. Therefore aim of this study was to determine the quantitative changes of the different neuropeptide containing nerve terminals and the immunocompetent cells in labial salivary glands of primary SS. Methods: Immunohisto- and cytochemical methods were used for the detection of immunoreactive (IR) elements and the data were compared with the healthy controls. Results: All of the investigated IR nerve fibre…