CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC SIALOADENITIS IN HCV-RELATED CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE - COMPARISON WITH SJOGRENS-SYNDROME

With the aim of morphologically characterizing chronic sialoadenitis i n patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic liver disease, labial salivary gland biopsies from 22 chronic HCV liver disease and from 10 primary Sjogren's syndrome patients were compared. Only focus score (n umber of aggregates with more than 50 lymphocytes per 4 mm(2) of gland ular tissue) and grading of inflammation were able to discriminate sig nificantly between the two patient groups. Duct ectasia, acinar deplet ion, presence of lymphoid aggregates with less than 50 lymphocytes and of lymphoid infiltration within intralobular salivary duct epithelium were evident in both disease groups and appeared to be non-specific, mostly age-related changes. In both patient groups plasma cell and lym phocyte typing showed similar features: T lymphocytes represented most of the lymphoid population, B lymphocytes were few unless follicles w ere present. Higher focus score values were associated with a plasma c ell switch from an IgA to an IgM and/or IgG predominance. A greater mo rphological similarity was seen between biopsies of the primary Sjogre n's syndrome group and those of female rather than male chronic HCV li ver disease patients. Salivary gland tissue in HCV patients responds t o damage in a fashion similar to primary Sjogren's syndrome, the only difference being a lesser degree of inflammation.