Article Abstract:
Routine questions about symptoms of dry mouth and dry eyes may not identify patients with measurably decreased saliva or tear production. Dry mouth and dry eyes can be symptoms of the autoimmune disease Sjogren's syndrome. Researchers surveyed 341 healthy adults about dryness symptoms, then measured the rate of their saliva and tear flows. Twenty-nine percent of participants reported dry mouth symptoms, 24% reported dry eye symptoms, and 14% reported symptoms of both. However, self-reports of dryness were only weakly predictive of actual salivary or tear gland dysfunctions.
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Article Abstract:
Platelet activating factor (PAF) appears to play a role in arthritis. PAF is produced during cell activation and causes inflammatory cells such as neutrophils to move to the site. It also seems to stimulate the neutrophils to release enzymes and generate oxygen radicals. PAF has been found in joint fluid taken from animals and humans with arthritis. Giving these animals a chemical that blocks the PAF receptor causes joint lesions to regress. The same effect was seen in one trial of PAF receptor blockers in humans.
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Article Abstract:
The case is presented of a woman who developed Sjogren's syndrome with unusual characteristics, which caused a delay in the proper diagnosis. Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that usually starts with dry eyes and mouth, but this woman had lung and kidney involvement but no dry eyes or mouth.
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