study on Sjogren's - FYI

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Sjögren's syndrome seeker By Judy GerstelAdvertisement: Rheumatologist Arthur Bookman is looking for 100 Sjögren's patients to participate in research that will build on results of a Toronto study reported today in The Lancet.Dr. Bookman and colleagues at Sick Kids, Toronto Western and U of T have identified the protein that triggers Sjögren's syndrome, in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own moisture-producing glands. And, these Toronto overachievers have already developed a prototype vaccine to treat the autoimmune disorder, which affects about 1 per cent of the population — overwhelmingly women. The average age of onset is the late 40s and the primary symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, but Sjögren's may also cause dryness of internal organs such as liver, lung, blood vessels and the central nervous system.The good news is that the vaccine dramatically reduced the progression of tissue damage even relatively late in the disease in test animals.Patients can be referred to the new study at the University Health Network's Multidisciplinary Sjögren's Clinic by their family doctors.