Mild sialoadenitis: a common finding in patients with hepatitis C virus infection

Background: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease of presumed viral origin; sialoadenitis has been reported to occur in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Methods: Lip biopsy specimens were graded in 32 consecutive patients with either HCV-related chronic liver disease or SS. Results: Seventeen of 22 HCV-positive patients had sialoadenitis, although generally mild (15 of 17, grades I-II). Severe inflammation (grades III-IV) was observed in 8 of 10 patients with SS (chi-square = 12.6; P < 0.0005). Moreover, HCV-positive patients with sialoadenitis differed from patients with SS in female sex prevalence (6 of 17 versus 10 of 10; chi-square = 10.9; P = 0.0001) and presence of serum antinuclear autoantibodies (0 of 17 versus 9 of 10; chi-square = 23.0; P < 0.0001). Five of 13 HCV-positive patients and 7 of 8 patients with SS were HLA-DR3-positive (chi-square = 4.9; P < 0.05). Conclusions: Sialoadenitis of HCV-related liver disease is common but differs from SS with regard to predisposing genetic factors, expression of autoimmune markers, and histopathologic severity.