3 Unraveling the Impact of COVID-19 on Sjogren’s Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

Faculty Mentor: Melodie Weller (Dentistry, University of Utah)

Objective

Autoimmune syndromes impact approximately 1 in 5 Americans; however, their characterization, both phenotypically and etiologically, is severely lacking. Sjogren’s Disease (SjD) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by decreased tear and/or saliva production, chronic salivary gland inflammation, autoantibody development and other extraglandular manifestations. There has been growing evidence of potential role of viral pathogens in development of autoimmune diseases such as SjD, most notably SARS-COV-2.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted utilizing data from TriNetX, LLC, that consists of >128,000 patients diagnosed with SjD (2015 to 2023). The SjD cohort was composed of all patients who had 2 or more M35.0 (M35.01-M35.09) ICD-10 codes with a separation of at least 6 months. Two additional control cohorts were composed of a comprehensive set of patients who displayed Sjogren’s associated symptomology (R68.2 Dry Mouth, H04.12 Dry Eye Syndrome) but did not meet the criteria for SjD diagnosis. Demographic and phenotypic changes observed in the Sjogren’s cohort before and after the COVID-19 pandemic were characterized.

Results:

The study highlighted notable changes in the SjD demographic profiles before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significant increase in the age of SjD patients at diagnosis during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic (57.14+/-7.14 years pre-pandemic to 58.61+/- 9.10 years pandemic, p<0.0001). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the percent of males being diagnosed with SjD during the pandemic, raising from 12.86% to 15.12%. Racial and ethnic composition revealed a significant increase in SjD diagnoses among Black or African American and Hispanic populations, with a decline among Asian populations. Regionally, the southern U.S. witnessed a rise in SjD diagnoses, while all other U.S. regions experienced a decrease.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced the demographic profile of SjD patients. These findings emphasize the potential interplay between viral pathogens and autoimmune disease prevalence and characteristics.