DQA1*05:01, DQB1*02:01, and DRB1*03:01 alleles were identified as risk factors, while DQA1*02:01, DQA1*03:01 and DQB1*05:01 alleles were found to be protective factors for the disease. The relationship between alleles and specific race was also established. HLA-DQ2 and HLA-B8 are generally found in Caucasian patients, while HLA-DR5 is related to Greek and Israeli patients. Multiple genome-wide association scans may be conducted in the future to identify key risk variants.Viruses that have been associated with Sjögrens syndrome include human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).Some research has showed that the lack of vitamin A and vitamin D are associated with the disease. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be related to neurological manifestations and the presence of lymphoma among patients, but vitamin A levels were inversely associated with extraglandular manifestations of the disease.Saliva is a potential diagnostic tool for Sjögrens syndrome because the salivary component is changed after onset of the disease. With the new miniaturization technology, called lab on a chip, the diagnosis can be more convenient.With regard to therapeutics, multiple monoclonal antibodies were under investigation in 2007. The most promising seemed to be the anti-CD20 rituximab and the anti-CD22 epratuzumab, while the anti-TNF-α and IFN-α seemed less effective.In 2014, the Sjögrens Syndrome Foundation announced a five-year goal to halve the diseases average time to diagnosis. Notable cases
Shannon Boxx (U.S. Olympic soccer player) has both Sjögrens syndrome and lupus.
Avacopan, sold under the brand name Tavneos, is a medication used to treat anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis.The most common side effects include nausea (feeling sick), headache, decrease in white blood cell count, upper respiratory tract (nose and throat) infection, diarrhea, vomiting, and nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the nose and throat).Avacopan was approved for medical use in Japan in September 2021, and in the United States in October 2021. It is the first orally-administered inhibitor of the complement C5a receptor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Avacopan is a complement 5a receptor antagonist and a cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitor. Medical uses
In the United States, avacopan is indicated as an adjunctive treatment of adults with severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis) in combination with standard therapy including glucocorticoids.In the European Union, avacopan, in combination with a rituximab or cyclophosphamide regimen, is indicated for the treatment of adults with severe, active granulomatosis with polyangiitis or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Society and culture
Legal status
In November 2021, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Tavneos, intended, in combination with a rituximab or cyclophosphamide regimen, for the treatment of adults with severe, active granulomatosis with polyangiitis or microscopic polyangiitis. The applicant for this medicinal product is Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma France. The EMA considers avacopan to be a first-in-class medicine.