ArticleClinical rheumatology2026
Telomere length in leukocyte as biomarker for diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome: a cross-sectional study.
Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Impaired telomere maintenance in rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study of telomerase reverse transcriptase and telomeric repeat-binding factors in disease susceptibility and functional impairment.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Article
- Letter to the Editor regarding "Comparative analysis of clinical features in diffuse and focal enlargement of IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis: a single-center retrospective study".Clinical rheumatology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrimary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), a systemic autoimmune disorder, is recognized by immune dysregulation and chronic inflammation. Though telomere attrition has been linked to various immune-related diseases, its relationship with pSS pathogenesis remains poorly understood. This research seeks to explore the relationship between peripheral blood leukocytes' telomere length and the susceptibility to pSS, thereby offering insights into the potential role as a biomarker.
methods181 participants, comprising pSS patients (n = 87) and healthy controls (n = 94) were involved in this study. Relative length of leukocyte telomere (T/S ratio) was quantified by a validated quantitative PCR protocol. To define the independent effect of telomere length on pSS susceptibility, logistic regression analyses, including univariate and multivariable, were performed. In addition, generalized additive modeling (GAM) was applied to identify possible nonlinear dose-response patterns.
resultspSS patients demonstrated significantly shorter telomere lengths than healthy controls (mean T/S ratio: 0.8 ± 0.35 vs. 1.01 ± 0.49, P = 0.0019). Decreased length of telomere was strongly linked to a higher likelihood of pSS occurrence (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.15-0.66, P = 0.0021). This relationship stayed statistically meaningful, albeit slightly weakened, after accounting for clinical characteristics and therapeutic variables. Moreover, nonlinear modeling suggested that progressive telomere shortening corresponded to a rising probability of developing pSS, implying a potential mechanistic contribution of telomere erosion to disease development.
conclusionThis cross-sectional study indicates that reduced telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes is linked to an elevated likelihood of developing pSS, suggesting that telomere dynamics could function as a promising biomarker for early detection and risk assessment. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm causality and assess telomere-targeted interventions. Key Points • Leukocyte telomere shortening serves as a clinically relevant biomarker in pSS. • Nonlinear dynamics link telomere attrition to immune dysregulation. • Telomere length shows complex interaction with disease stage and therapeutics.
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