Salivary Flow Rates in Serology and Biopsy Positive pSjogren’s Syndrome

Objective: To compare whole unstimulated saliva (WUS) and paraffin stimulated whole saliva (WSS) rates in patients diagnosed with primary Sjogren’s Syndrome by Sjogren’s specific serological markers or biopsy of minor salivary glands in the lower lip.  Minor salivary gland biopsy is followed when there is an absence of serological markers.

Method: A total of 91 patients of the Oral medicine clinic were evaluated in this retrospective study.  WUS and WSS were compared in a group of patients diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome by the presence of positive serological markers (N= 48), SSA or SSB, with a group of patients diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome by a positive biopsy with a focal score of 1 or greater (N=43).  Saliva was collected by the drooling method.  Data was analyzed using independent sample T-tests.  

Result: The mean US and SS salivary flow rate were lower in the positive serological marker group (WUS = 0.074  0.196 ml/min and SS= .70. The mean WUS on positive lip biopsy group was   0.907  ml/min and WSS was.959   1.057 ml/min . Levene’s test for equality of variance is statistically significant at p=.004 for both WUS and WSS.  When the WUS and WSS were compared, there was no statistical significance between US and SS in two groups in equality of means.

Conclusion: The levels of salivary gland hypofunction and consequent decrease in WUS and WSS, occurs in the primary Sjogren’s syndrome irrespective of the diagnostic method used. Larger studies are needed to further examine the difference between the two diagnostic methods.