Transcriptome analysis of salivary gland epithelial cell lines derived from patients with primary Sjgrens syndrome.

Primary Sjgrens syndrome (SS or autoimmune epithelitis) is a relatively common autoimmune disorder that is primarily characterized by chronic lymphoepithelial inflammatory reactions in the exocrine glands, mainly the salivary and lachrymal glands. It may extend from disease confined to the exocrine glands (organ-specific exocrinopathy) to various extraglandular manifestations (systemic disease) and the development of B-cell lymphoma. Several studies from our laboratory had provided evidence for the strong implication of ductal salivary gland epithelial cells (SGEC) in the pathogenesis of Sjgrens syndrome (SS), including the development of salivary gland infiltrating lesions and of adverse systemic clinical complications, such as the development of B-cell lymphoma. In fact, the comparative assessment of non-neoplastic SGEC lines derived from SS patients and disease controls had indicated that the ductal epithelia of SS patients manifest an intrinsically activated status that is associated with distinct aberrant phenotypic and functional features encountered in inflamed cells.

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