| Objective The paper was aim to explore the expression of PRL,PRL-R at protein level and local Th pattern in labial salivary glands (LSG) in Sjogren's syndrome (SS) ,and to study the correlation between them.Methods The paraffin sections of LSG from SS patients and controls were stained with monoclonal antibodies to PRL,PRL-R and to the cytokines IFN-γ and IL-4 which are associated with Th1 and Th2 responses, respectively. Correlations between the cytokines and correlations between cytokines and Chisholm's score or organic manifestations were investigated. Results 1.PRL,PRL-R were distributed in acinar and ductal epithelial cells, but only increased PRL-immunoreactivity was found in cytoplasmic acinar epithelial cells in pSS and sSS patients compared with normal subjects(P=0.004,P=0.009). 2.IFN-γand IL-4 were distributed in infiltrating mononuclear cells ,acinar and ductal epithelial cells;but only increased IFN-γ-immunoreactivity was found in infiltrating mononuclear cells (P=0.003, P=0.007) and acinar epithelial cells (P=0.002,P=0.003)in pSS and sSS patients compared with normal subjects; importantly, the presence of IFN-γwas higher than IL-4 in infiltrating mononuclear cells in pSS patients(P=0.002). 3.A positive correlation was found between the immunoreactivity of PRL in LSG and that of IFN-γ in LSG especially in infiltrating mononuclear cells in pSS patients (rs=0.657,,P=0.002). The presence of organic manifestations also positively correlated with a higer percentage of PRL in LSG of pSS patients(P=0.031).Conclusions 1. PRL is overexpressed in LSG epithelial cells from SS patients and correlates with the aggressiveness of the disease. PRL is also positively correlative with Th1 cytokine IFN-γ. 2. Inflammatory labial salivary gland in pSS patients appears to be a largely Th1 phenomenon. 3. The LSG epithelial cells can synthetize PRL,IFN-γand IL-4, and may play a major role in the local autoimmune reaction of SS.
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