To assess changes in salivary epidermal growth factor (EGF) levels within three years and investigate the correlation between these changes and the severity of intraoral manifestations in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
Twenty-three SS patients (14 primary SS and 9 secondary SS) and 14 controls were followed up for three years. Salivary EGF concentration was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and intraoral manifestations were evaluated using a short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Changes in salivary flow rate, EGF level, and severity of intraoral manifestations were analyzed, along with associations among them.
The OHIP-14 score significantly increased and the total salivary EGF output significantly decreased after three years in the SS group (10.2 ± 8.8 vs. 12.6 ± 9.2, p = 0.040; 10158.4 ± 9820.9 vs. 8352.8 ± 7813.3 pg/10 min, p = 0.032), though the salivary flow rate did not change. The decrease in total EGF output was especially high in patients with long disease duration and poor oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). In patients with poor OHRQoL, the change in total EGF output significantly correlated with the OHIP-14 score (r = - 0.847, p = 0.008). However, there was no correlation between the change in salivary flow rate and the OHIP-14 score.
The rapid decrease in salivary EGF level contributes to the progression of intraoral manifestations of SS.