Vth International Symposium on Sjögren's syndrome. Clinical aspects and therapy.

There is increasing awareness that sicca syndrome can lead to ocular, oral and systemic complications. However, a wide variety of pathogenetic processes may lead to the same end result of diminished glandular secretion. Recognition of these different etiologies will lead to improved therapies. On the one hand, an active inflammatory/autoimmune process may respond to immunomodulatory drugs. On the other hands, processes that predominantly involve "neuroendocrine" dysfunction (unrelated to immune activity) of the gland will require a different approach.