CLINICAL AND LABORATORY CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH SJOGRENS-DISEASE LASTING FROM YOUNG AGE

Aim. Characterization of Sjogren's disease (SD) with onset at early ag e basing on the comparison of two patient groups - with the disease on set at the age under 30 and over 50. Materials and methods. Clinical, ophthalmological and stomatological examinations were performed in 31 SD patients who developed the disease at the age under 30 (group 1) an d over 50 (group 2). Results. In group 1 the disease started with paro titis in 42.8% of cases, dysfunction of secreting epithelial glands wa s rare, functional activity of exocrine exocrine glands was normal, dy sproteinemia thigh total protein levels, hypergammaglobulinemia, hypoa lbuminemia) and immunological defects thigh levels of circulating immu ne complexes, rheumatoid factor, antinuclear factor) were more pronoun ced. At retrospective analysis not only a decline of functional activi ty of the salivary and lacrimal glands but also appearance of systemic symptoms were registered. Conclusion. Development of systemic SD symp toms at young age necessitates early pathogenetic therapy employing: c orticosteroid, cytostatic and other drugs.