Sjögren’s Disease Often
Patients with SjD have long suffered from being underrecognized, whether through misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis, or being dismissed as having “just” dry eyes and mouth.1,2
In current clinical practice, there is now an emerging recognition of SjD as a potentially debilitating, systemic disease that can cause long-term and irreversible damage.3,4 Rheumatologists can work to meet the challenges of diagnosis and management to improve the care of patients with SjD.2
SjD: overlooked systemic involvement
SjD is a serious, systemic autoimmune disorder that may be associated with
debilitating dryness.3 However, a systemic inflammatory process leading to multi-organ involvement can also accompany the disease and is often overlooked while impacting patients.2,5,6
The role of TYK2 in SjD
Many interacting immune cells and signals act to initiate and propagate SjD.5,7 Type I IFN is a major driver of disease, promoting B-cell and T-cell activation and differentiation.5,7 Type I IFN is transduced intracellularly by TYK2 in partnership with JAK1.5 Other TYK2-mediated signals, IL-12 and IL-23, are among the signals that also contribute to inflammation in SjD.7
The difficulty and urgency of diagnosis
SjD has a complex differential diagnosis and no standardized clinical assessment.1,2 As a result, most patients with SjD experience significant delays before getting the correct diagnosis.8,9 These delays are psychologically and physically detrimental.9 How can the rheumatologist community address this need?
Ongoing burdens in SjD
Patients suffer significant burdens affecting every domain of their quality of life.10 Burdensome dryness, fatigue, and pain shape many of their days, and the risk of irreversible organ damage looms.4,11 Patients’ experience of their disease often varies from clinicians’ perceptions of severity and must be understood to improve care.11,12
The current challenges and future direction of SjD treatment
There remains a critical need for additional health authority-approved therapies to control both symptomatic and systemic manifestations of SjD.7,13 Ongoing research is focused on investigating new approaches to target the underlying drivers of
SjD.14-19
Explore available resources
about SjD
TYK2 in SjD
Learn about the role of TYK2 in mediating inflammatory signals in the complex
pathophysiology of SjD
Explore additional resources and learn more
To learn about unmet needs for SLE
CHB, congenital heart block; CNS, central nervous system; IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin; ISSjD, International Symposium on Sjögren's Disease; JAK, Janus kinase; SjD, Sjögren's disease; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; TYK2, tyrosine kinase 2.
References
1. Rasmussen A et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2016;55:1195–1201.
2. Sjögren's Foundation. Accessed July 2026. https://sjogrens.org/understanding-sjogrens/diagnosis
3. Bowman J et al. J Clin Med. 2026;15:1189.
4. Berardicurti O et al. RMD Open. 2026;12:e006772.
5. Sun Y et al. EMJ Rheumatol. 2022;9:59–70.
6. Ramos-Casals M et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020;79:3–18.
7. Bowman SJ et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2025;84:1068–1089.
8. Sandhya P et al. Int J Rheum Dis. 2019;22:1768–1774.
9. Meinecke A et al. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2024;42:2444–2452; Suppl.
10. Al-Ezzi MY et al. J Clin Med. 2025;14:1939.
11. McCoy SS. Clin Rheumatol. 2022;41:2071–2078.
12. Beydon M et al. Curr Opin Immunol. 2026;99:102741.
13. Marvel J et al. RMD Open. 2026;12:e006166.
14. ClinicalTrials.gov. Accessed October 2026. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05946941
15. Kingston P et al. J Psoriasis Psoriatic Arthritis. 2023;8:156–165.
16. Fan Y et al. Drugs Today (Barc). 2022;58:23–32.
17. Grader-Beck T et al. Late-breaking abstract presentation at American College of Rheumatology Convergence; October 29, 2025; Chicago, IL. LB24.
18. St Clair EW et al. Nat Med. 2024;30:1583–1592.
19. Noaiseh G et al. Lancet. 2025;406:2435–2448.
