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Identification of distinct subgroups of Sjögren's disease by cluster analysis based on clinical and biological manifestations: data from the cross-sectional Paris-Saclay and the prospective ASSESS cohorts

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Fai NgORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).


Abstract

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: Sjögren's disease is a heterogenous autoimmune disease with a wide range of symptoms—including dryness, fatigue, and pain—in addition to systemic manifestations and an increased risk of lymphoma. We aimed to identify distinct subgroups of the disease, using cluster analysis based on subjective symptoms and clinical and biological manifestations, and to compare the prognoses of patients in these subgroups. Methods: This study included patients with Sjögren's disease from two independent cohorts in France: the cross-sectional Paris-Saclay cohort and the prospective Assessment of Systemic Signs and Evolution of Sjögren's Syndrome (ASSESS) cohort. We first used an unsupervised multiple correspondence analysis to identify clusters within the Paris-Saclay cohort using 26 variables comprising patient-reported symptoms and clinical and biological manifestations. Next, we validated these clusters using patients from the ASSESS cohort. Changes in disease activity (measured by the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology [EULAR] Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index [ESSDAI]), patient-acceptable symptom state (measured by the EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index [ESSPRI]), and lymphoma incidence during follow-up were compared between clusters. Finally, we compared our clusters with the symptom-based subgroups previously described by Tarn and colleagues. Findings: 534 patients from the Paris-Saclay cohort (502 [94%] women, 32 [6%] men, median age 54 years [IQR 43–64]), recruited between 1999 and 2022, and 395 patients from the ASSESS cohort (370 [94%] women, 25 [6%] men, median age 53 years [43–63]), recruited between 2006 and 2009, were included in this study. In both cohorts, hierarchical cluster analysis revealed three distinct subgroups of patients: those with B-cell active disease and low symptom burden (BALS), those with high systemic disease activity (HSA), and those with low systemic disease activity and high symptom burden (LSAHS). During follow-up in the ASSESS cohort, disease activity and symptom states worsened for patients in the BALS cluster (67 [36%] of 186 patients with ESSPRI score <5 at month 60 vs 92 [49%] of 186 at inclusion; p<0·0001). Lymphomas occurred in patients in the BALS cluster (five [3%] of 186 patients; diagnosed a median of 70 months [IQR 42–104] after inclusion) and the HSA cluster (six [4%] of 158 patients; diagnosed 23 months [13–83] after inclusion). All patients from the Paris-Saclay cohort with a history of lymphoma were in the BALS and HSA clusters. This unsupervised clustering classification based on symptoms and clinical and biological manifestations did not correlate with a previous classification based on symptoms only. Interpretation: On the basis of symptoms and clinical and biological manifestations, we identified three distinct subgroups of patients with Sjögren's disease with different prognoses. Our results suggest that these subgroups represent different heterogeneous pathophysiological disease mechanisms, stages of disease, or both. These findings could be of interest when stratifying patients in future therapeutic trials. Funding: Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, French Ministry of Health, French Society of Rheumatology, Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking, Medical Research Council UK, and Foundation for Research in Rheumatology.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Nguyen Y, Nocturne G, Henry J, Ng W-F, Belkhir R, Desmoulins F, Berge E, Morel J, Perdriger A, Dernis E, Devauchelle-Pensec V, Sene D, Dieude P, Couderc M, Fauchais A-L, Larroche C, Vittecoq O, Salliot C, Hachulla E, Le Guern V, Gottenberg J-E, Mariette X, Seror R

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: The Lancet Rheumatology

Year: 2024

Volume: 6

Issue: 4

Pages: e216-e225

Print publication date: 01/04/2024

Online publication date: 01/03/2024

Acceptance date: 02/04/2023

Date deposited: 19/03/2024

ISSN (electronic): 2665-9913

Publisher: Elsevier Ltd

URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00340-5

DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00340-5

Data Access Statement: Anonymised data from both cohorts, along with the data dictionary, will be available upon publication. All requests for access must be directed to XM (xavier.mariette@aphp.fr). Data transfer will be subject to an access protocol and will require authorisation from the scientific board of the Paris-Saclay or the ASSESS cohort. Data sharing will be contingent upon a data sharing agreement prior to any transfer, to ensure all users of the data adhere to the legal requirements of using personal data.


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
2005 P060228
806975IMI Joint Undertaking
European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program
French Ministry of Health
French Society of Rheumatology
European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations
G0800629
Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking
Medical Research Council

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