Sjogren's Syndrome

I have read about various possible causes of Sjogren's Syndrome and these causes are anything from possible genetic and environmental factors to viral or bacterial infections. Do you have any research that you've done on Sjogren's and any thoughts on what causes this disease?

Also, I was bitten by a tick 12 years ago and that is when some of my symptoms first appeared. After the bite, I had a huge rash and my knee was swollen. The rash was not a bullseye rash, but it spread over my entire knee and my physician didn't know what it was or how to treat it.  I do not have lyme disease, but am now reading about other bacterial infections and viruses that ticks may carry. I believe this tick bite was responsible for my Sjogren's. Do you have any thoughts on that or suggestions on additional testing that I should have done?

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

Often the ticks that carry Lyme Borrelia b. also carry other co-infections, such as Mycoplasma species and other co-infections.  Mycoplasma species are interesting, because the majority of Sjogren’s Syndrome patients have this type of infection.  It could also involve viral infections as you mentioned.  Your physician should consider a Mycoplasma species test by PCR when you are very symptomatic (These are intracellular infections and the microorganism has to be shed from cells into the blood to get a positive PCR result from a blood sample.  The shedding only occurs when you are very symptomatic, and many of the symptoms are the result of host responses to the infection).  More information on testing can be found under Clinical Testing on our website, www.immed.org   ProfGN

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