The Netherlands journal of medicine
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The subject of this review is the humoral autoimmune response in Sjögren's syndrome. Autoantibodies in this disease are primarily directed against the Ro/SS-A and La/SS-B autoantigens and against IgG (rheumatoid factor). The Ro/SS-A and La/SS-B autoantigens consist of a number of antigenic proteins coupled to small RNA molecules. ⋯ The origin and possible pathogenetic role of autoantibodies in Sjögren's syndrome is still unclear. Our view is that the current evidence supports a mechanism whereby autoantibodies are the product of an oligoclonal B-cell proliferation. The only instance where autoantibodies probably play a direct pathogenetic role is the occurrence of congenital heart block in the offspring of anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B positive mothers.