Exocrine pancreatic dysfunction in systemic sclerosis and primary Sjogren’s syndrome patients

• Published in: Journal of Turkish Society for Rheumatology Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 1 - 5
• Main Authors: Satış, Hasan, Arslan, Burak, Güven, Serdar Can, Bilici Salman, Reyhan, Babaoğlu, Hakan, Ataş, Nuh, Avanoğlu Güler, Aslıhan, Karadeniz, Hazan, Göker, Berna, Haznedaroğlu, Şeminur, Öztürk, Mehmet Akif, Tufan, Abdurrahman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Istanbul Galenos Publishing House 01.03.2023
• Subjects: Connective tissue; Disease; Enzymes; Feces; Laboratories; Patients; Personal protective equipment; Quality of life; Scleroderma
• ISSN: 2651-2653; 2651-2661
• DOI: 10.4274/raed.galenos.2023.92486

Objective: Gastrointestinal problems are frequently encountered in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS). It has been thought that the pancreas were affected by these diseases. It was aimed to investigate exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in SSc and pSS patients and its potential effect on patient’s gastrointestinal problems. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of SSc or pSS patients, according to 2013 and 2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria were consecutively examined. The gastrointestinal quality of life questionnaire was used for functional assessment. Fecal samples were taken from participants and fecal elastase level (fe), which were measured by the ELISA kit. Results: Forty SSc and forty-one pSS patients were enrolled in the study. Groups had similar disease duration, age, and sex distribution. Fe levels were not different between the groups, Healthy control groups had median fe level of 516 μg/g, whereas SSc patients had 437±128 μg/g and pSS patients had 428±149 μg/g. The proportion of patients exhibiting pathological fecal elastase levels were also the same between the groups (12.2% versus 7.5% respectively). However, the functional survey score was worse in the SSc group. Conclusion: Gastrointestinal problems were prevalent in connective tissue disorders, especially in SSc patients. Although pancreatic exocrine dysfunction is rare in these patient groups, its contribution to the development of these complaints is limited.