No difference in endothelial microvasculation measured by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) in patients with Sjögren's disease and matched controls

Franziska Maria Tapken¹Nadine Zehrfeld¹Malin Abelmann^1,2,3Anna Charlotte Müller-Vahl⁴Sabrina Benz⁴Tabea Seeliger⁵Thomas Skripuletz⁵Torsten Witte⁴Kristina Sonnenschein²Johann Bauersachs²Udo Bavendiek²Thomas Thum³Anselm A. Derda^2,3*Diana Ernst^4*

• ¹Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
• ²Department of Angiology and Cardiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, Hannover, Germany
• ³Institute for Molecular and Translational Therapy Strategies, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
• ⁴Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, Hannover, Germany
• ⁵Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany

Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a connective tissue autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammatory infiltration of the exocrine glands, leading to symptoms such as dryness, pain and fatigue. Additionally, up to 50% of patients may experience extraglandular manifestations. SjD patients face a higher cardiovascular risk, including severe events like myocardial infarction and strokes, partly due to an increased likelihood of subclinical atherosclerosis. Therefore, identifying SjD patients at an early stage is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality.In this study, SjD patients who met the current ACR/EULAR 2016 classification criteria were consecutively enrolled in our outpatient clinic. A control cohort was recruited through a multimedia call for participation. To assess changes in endothelial functions, a reactive hyperemia index (RHI) was calculated using peripheral arterial tonometry with the EndoPAT® measurement device. RHI values below 1.67 were considered pathological.The dataset consists of 49 SjD patients and 27 healthy controls. Both groups had similar ages and comparable cardiovascular risk factors. No differences in RHI were observed between the two cohorts. The only significant factor that was predictive for a low RHI was an increased Body Mass Index (p=0.036). These findings suggest that EndoPAT measurements may not be a suitable method for detecting changes in endothelial function specific to patients with SjD. FTa received a scholarship by Gesellschaft der Freunde der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover e.V., KlinStrucMed programm 2023/2024.