RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Salivary Gland Focus Score Is Associated With Myocardial Fibrosis in Primary Sjögren Syndrome Assessed by a Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Approach
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP jrheum.200352
DO 10.3899/jrheum.200352
A1 Atsuma Nishiwaki
A1 Hitomi Kobayashi
A1 Natsumi Ikumi
A1 Yasuyuki Kobayashi
A1 Isamu Yokoe
A1 Kaita Sugiyama
A1 Yoshihiro Matsukawa
A1 Masami Takei
A1 Noboru Kitamura
YR 2020
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2021/01/19/jrheum.200352.abstract
AB Objective The risk of clinically manifested major cardiovascular (CV) events in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) remains unclear. This study aimed to assess myocardial fibrosis in pSS and investigate the associated disease characteristics by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of patients with pSS without cardiac symptoms. Labial gland biopsy was documented in 44 patients (85%). Patients without CV risk factors underwent contrast-enhanced cMRI. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was used to assess myocardial fibrosis. Myocardial edema was assessed using T2-weighted imaging (T2WI). We compared the left ventricular (LV) geometry and function between the groups with and without LGE. Further, we explored the associations of cMRI abnormalities with pSS characteristics. Results Fifty-two women with pSS (median age 55, IQR 47.0–65.7 yrs) were enrolled in the study. LGE was observed in 10 patients (19%), two of whom showed high intensity on T2WI. High intensity on T2WI was observed in 3 patients (5.8%). LV mass index and LV mass/end-diastolic volume tended to be higher in the LGE-positive group than in the LGE-negative group (P = 0.078 and 0.093, respectively). Salivary gland focus score (FS) ≥ 3 was independently associated with LGE-positive in the multivariable analysis (OR 11.21, 95% CI 1.18–106.80). Conclusion Subclinical myocardial fibrosis, as detected by cMRI, was frequent in patients with pSS without cardiac symptoms. Abnormal cMRI findings were associated with salivary gland FS ≥ 3.