Check out this amazing illustration found on the first page of the review. Yes, I can definitely equate a cactus with an Ro/La autoantibody.
This review entitled Novel Aspects of Sjogren's Syndrome in 2012 was published in the online journal BMC Medicine in May 2013 as part of their Cutting edge: issues in autoimmunity series:
Authors and their affiliations:
Angela Tincani1, 2*, Laura Andreoli 2, Ilaria Cavazzana 1, Andrea Doria 3, Marta Favero 3, Maria-Giulia Fenini 4, Franco Franceschini 1, Andrea Lojacono 5, Giuseppe Nascimbeni 6, Amerigo Santoro 7, Francesco Semeraro 6, Paola Toniati 1 and Yehuda Shoenfeld 8
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Spedali Civili, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25100 Brescia, Italy
- Chair of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Spedali Civili, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25100 Brescia, Italy
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua, 35128, Italy
- Rheumatology Unit, Vallecamonica Hospital, Via Manzoni 142, Esine (Brescia), 25040, Italy
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Spedali Civili and University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25100, Italy
- Ophthalmology Unit, Spedali Civili and University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25100, Italy
- Pathology Unit, Spedali Civili, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25100, Italy
- Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Hashomer, 52621, Israel
From the introduction:
"....In the current review we present the complexity of SS from different points of view, reporting on the current cutting edge of knowledge about this disease. This multidisciplinary approach to SS is the result of a symposium held in Brescia (Italy) in June 2012, involving several specialists who take care of different aspects of the diagnosis, management and therapy of SS."
You can read the entire review here. It is very lengthy and technical, but take the time to skim it.
Why?
Well, aside from gaining additional information about our disease and cutting edge treatment, you may want to read it and be reassured that there IS being significant study and research conducted into Sjogren's syndrome and autoimmunity in general.
Which is not to say that the current level of research is enough.
Reading this made me feel enormously satisfied to see an acknowledgement of the significant complexity of Sjogren's syndrome and the need for a multi-discipline team of providers to adequately meet the needs of a patient struggling with this disease.
The next time a physician or health care provider tells you that Sjogren's is "just dry eyes and dry mouth", print out this hefty 18 page PDF and slap it on his/her desk.
Desk. I said DESK, people.....
3 comments:
So glad to see my fellow brethren from Italy (yes,I come from Italian blood) doing some good research on sjogren's. I just glanced through it and will be printing it because it is quite a thorough and interesting read.
We all hear the "Oh, this is just dry eyes and mouth" so often. Why, just yesterday I was looking at my chart online and saw the list 'current health issues'. Clicked on Sjogren's and this is the link it took me to:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sjogrenssyndrome.html
Main symptoms: dry eyes, dry mouth
GRRRR.....
I'll try to very hard to keep from slapping this informative packet anywhere but the desk. That little snippet made my day :)
Thanks for the humor!
LOL, I guess we could do a survey of OTHER places people might prefer to slap those pages and on whom.
I nominate the optometrist who said, "You have dry eyes, it's a BIRTHDAY THING, use drops a few times a day..." when I went in because my eyes were hurting all the time and I couldn't figure out why. Meaning, you are just getting old, deal with it.
He didn't spare a moment to ask if I also had dry mouth symptoms and explain what they are, how long the eye symptoms had been going on, if I had other symptoms that would point to autoimmunity like early arthritis symptoms or unexplained rashes, where I was in relation to menopause (not even close, in my mid-40's) etc. Nor did he mention scrubs, warm compresses or fish oil supplements. All things I had to find out on my own.
That's who gets slapped with a copy, best not to say where...
Thanks, Julia.
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