The Correlative Relationship Between The Pathogenesis Of Primary Sj(o|¨)gren’s Syndrome And The Expression Of BAFF,MMP-9,E-cad And Snail In The Patients’ Labial Glands

Objective To detect the expression of B cell activating factor of the Tumor NecrosisFactor family (BAFF),matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9), epithelial cadherin（E-cad）andSnail in the labial glands of the patients with Primary Sj(o|¨)gren’s Syndrome (PSS).Analyzingthe correlation between these four factors and the clinical and laboratory indexes to explorethe diagnosis and application value in PSS.Methods The expression of BAFF, MMP-9，E-cad,and Snail were detected by theImmunohistochemical method.The labial glands were obtained from50patients with PSS and30healthy controls.To observe the ultrastructure changes of labial glands though the electronmicroscope.Analyzing the correlation between these four factors and the clinical andlaboratory indexes to explore the diagnosis and application value in PSS.Results1.①The BAFF protein was over-expressed in the labial glands of the patientswith PSS. The area,optical density and integrated optical density of BAFF were allsignificantly higher than those in normal labial glands (P<0.01). The expression BAFFrespectively had a positive correlation between the lymphocyte focus score (P<0.01).②Thecorrelation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between the expression ofBAFF and the level of Immunoglobulin G(IgG) and rheumatoid factor(RF)（P <0.05）,but nosignificantly correlation between BAFF and the age of the patients,the progress of disease,erythrocyte sedmentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), Immunoglobulin A(IgA),Immunoglobulin M (IgM), complement3(C3), complement4(C4)（P＞0.05）.③The expr- ession of BAFF in the anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positive group and the anti-Sj(o|¨)gren’sSyndrome A antibody positive group were both higher than these in the ANA negative groupand the anti-Sj(o|¨)gren’s Syndrome A antibody negative group（P<0.05）.2.①The MMP-9protein was over-expressed in the labial glands of the patients with PSS. The area,opticaldensity and integrated optical density of MMP-9were all significantly higher than those innormal labial glands (P<0.01). The expression of MMP-9respectively had a positivecorrelation between the lymphocyte focus score (P<0.05).②The correlation analysis showedthat there was a positive correlation between the expression of MMP-9and the level of CRP（P<0.05）and a negative correlation with C3,but no significantly correlation between MMP-9and the age of the patients,the progress of disease, ESR, RF, IgG, IgA, IgM,C4（P>0.05）.③The expression of MMP-9had no difference between the ANA positive group and the ANAnegative group, the anti-Sj(o|¨)gren’s Syndrome A antibody positive group and the anti-Sj(o|¨)gren’sSyndrome A antibody negative group （P>0.05）.3.①The expression level of E-cad proteinwas lower in the labial glands of the patients with PSS than that of the healthy controls. Thearea,optical density and integrated optical density of E-cad were all significantly lower thanthose in normal labial glands (P <0.05). The expression of E-cad respectively had a negativecorrelation between the lymphocyte focus score(P<0.01).②The correlation analysis showedthat there was a negative correlation between the expression of E-cad and the level of ESR,CRP（P<0.05）, but no significantly correlation between E-cad and the age of the patients,theprogress of disease,RF,IgG,IgA,IgM,C3,C4(P>0.05）.③The expression of E-cad in theanti-Sj(o|¨)gren’s Syndrome A antibody positive group was lower than this in the anti-Sj(o|¨)gren’sSyndrome A antibody negative group（P<0.05）. But the expression of E-cad had no differencebetween the ANA positive group and the ANA negative group（P>0.05）.4.①The Snailprotein was over-expressed in the labials gland of20patients with PSS(positive rate of Snailwas40%). The area,optical density and integrated optical density of Snail were allsignificantly higher than those in normal labial glands（P<0.01). The expression of Snail resp- ectively had a positive correlation between the lymphocyte focus score （P <0.01）.②Thecorrelation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between the expression ofSnail and the level of CRP（P <0.01）,but no significantly correlation between Snail and theage of the patients,the progress of disease,RF, ESR, IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C4（P>0.05）.③Theexpression of Snail had no difference between the ANA positive group and the ANA negativegroup, the anti-Sj(o|¨)gren’s Syndrome A antibody positive group and the anti-Sj(o|¨)gren’sSyndrome A antibody negative group（P>0.05）.5. There was a positive correlation betweenthe expression of MMP-9and BAFF and a negative correlation between the expression ofE-cad and Snail(P <0.05).6. The labial glands of the normal group were full and the cells werewell connected and there were enough desmosomes but no lymphocytes infiltration. Thelabial glands of the patients with PSS shrinked and their mitochondria swelled.There wereserious lymphocytes infiltrations and the connection beween the cells was loose. The tissuestructure was destroyed.Conclusion①The BAFF, MMP-9, Snail were over-expressed and the E-cad was low-expressed in the labial glands of the patients with PSS.②There was a positive correlationbetween the expression of BAFF and the production of immunoglobulin and autoantibodies.③The destruction of the labial glands tissues of the patients with PSS maybe the result of theinteraction of BAFF、MMP-9、E-cad、Snail.④The levels of E-cad,Snail may be the referenceindicators that would forecast the illness activity.⑤PSS maybe a kind of autoimmune diseasethat could be influenced by many factors.