TY - JOUR T1 - National Sjӧgren’s Foundation Survey: Burden of Oral and Systemic Involvement on Quality of Life JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol DO - 10.3899/jrheum.200733 SP - jrheum.200733 AU - Sara S. McCoy AU - Christie M. Bartels AU - Ian J. Saldanha AU - Vatinee Y. Bunya AU - Esen K. Akpek AU - Matthew A. Makara AU - Alan N. Baer Y1 - 2020/09/15 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2020/09/10/jrheum.200733.abstract N2 - Objective To define the association between oral and systemic manifestations of Sjӧgren’s syndrome (SS) and quality of life. Methods We analyzed a cross-sectional survey conducted by the Sjӧgren’s Foundation in 2016, with 2961 eligible responses. We defined oral symptom and sign exposures as parotid gland swelling, dry mouth, mouth ulcers/sores, oral candidiasis, trouble speaking, choking or dysphagia, sialolithiasis or gland infection, and dental caries. Systemic exposures included interstitial lung disease, purpura/petechiae/cryoglobulinemia, vasculitis, neuropathy, leukopenia, interstitial nephritis, renal tubular acidosis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, or lymphoma. Outcomes included SS-specific quality of life questions generated by SS experts and patients. Results Using multivariable regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, and employment, we observed that mouth ulcers or sores, trouble speaking, and dysphagia were associated with poor quality of life. The following oral aspects had the greatest impact on these following quality of life areas: i) mouth ulcers/sores on the challenge and burden of living with SS (odds ratio [OR] 4.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.89- 5.48), ii) trouble speaking on memory and concentration (OR 4.24, 95% CI 3.28-5.48), and iii) dysphagia on functional interference (OR 4.25, 95% CI 3.13-5.79). In contrast, systemic manifestations were associated with quality of life to a lesser extent or not at all. Conclusion Oral manifestations of SS, particularly mouth ulcers or sores, trouble speaking, and dysphagia, were strongly associated with worse quality of life. Further study and targeted treatment of these oral manifestations provides the opportunity to improve quality of life in patients with SS. ER -