Treatment of xerostomia in Sjögren's syndrome - what effect does it have on the oral microbiome?

Magdalena Kalinowska, Damian Muszyński, Karolina Kaźmierczak-Siedlecka, Robert Kucharski, Leszek Kalinowski, Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska, Aleksandra Brzóska, Marika Bolcewicz

Journal: Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 2025;15():1484951

PMID: 40297612

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Abstract

Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by lymphatic infiltration of secretory tissues. The disease results in dryness of the eyeball or mouth, which often occur simultaneously. Agents used to treat Sjögren's syndrome may improve oral hydration and the patient's quality of life. There are several pharmacological and non-pharmacological agents used to treat significant problem like xerostomia. The use of appropriate medicines (i.e. pilocarpine and cevimeline) may cause changes in the local microbiome, which is very sensitive to quantitative changes in water. As a result of Sjögren's syndrome, a new balance of the microbiome is established in the oral cavity, which, if disturbed by medical measures, may increase the risk of oral lesions (such as periodontopathies or caries) or reduce this risk. Overall, the knowledge regarding microbiological aspects and agents treating oral dryness is still not well described but initial results indicate some microbial alterations.

Address: Scientific Circle of Studies Regarding Personalized Medicine Associated with Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.; Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics - Fahrenheit Biobank BBMRI.pl, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.; Neodentica Dentistry Center, Gdansk, Poland.; International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.; Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Cellular Therapies, Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.; Scientific Circle of Studies Regarding Personalized Medicine Associated with Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.; University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland.; Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics - Fahrenheit Biobank BBMRI.pl, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.; Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics - Fahrenheit Biobank BBMRI.pl, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.; BioTechMed Center, Department of Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland.

DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1484951

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Free resources

Full Text Sources:

Medical:

https://medlineplus.gov/drymouth.html

Research Materials:

https://antibodies.cancer.gov/detail/CPTC-HLA-B-1

MeSH Terms: Sjogren's Syndrome, Humans, Xerostomia, Microbiota, Mouth, Pilocarpine, Quinuclidines, Thiophenes