Causes of Exocrine Gland Dysfunction in Sjögren’s

The secretory function of the exocrine glands is a perplexing and tightly regulated process. The glands must readily respond to internal and external stimuli or environmental changes to facilitate the hydration, lubrication, and protection of tissues, organs, or cavities that are easily accessible or in direct contact with exogenous factors and pathogens. Especially in Sjögren’s, identification of the cause is exacerbated by the complexity of the disease, the variety of the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis, and our inability to identify the offending factors. The identification of the offending factors of epithelial activation and the role of the latter in the observed epithelial secretory dysfunction is of great importance for the understanding of disease pathogenesis and the development of effective therapeutic interventions.