This paper reviews the historical development, pathogenesis, and nomenclature of Sjögren's syndrome and critiques the recently proposed term 'Sjögren's disease'. Early clinical observations gradually defined the disorder as a systemic condition characterized by sicca symptoms and frequent extraglandular involvement. Advances in immunology later established its autoimmune nature and highlighted the active role of epithelial cells in disease mechanisms. Experimental evidence shows that salivary gland epithelial cells are not passive targets but key initiators and perpetuators of immune responses. They express immunoregulatory molecules, produce cytokines and chemokines, and recruit and activate immune cells within affected tissues. These findings led to the concept of 'autoimmune epithelitis' as a pathogenetically meaningful description. The paper argues that replacing 'Sjögren's syndrome' with 'Sjögren's disease' offers little scientific benefit, preserves a non-informative eponym, and fails to reflect current understanding of underlying pathogenic mechanisms.
Haralampos M Moutsopoulos (Wed,) studied this question.