NIDCR News 2016

Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva. One of the most common autoimmune disorders, Sjögren’s is thought to affect 1 to 4 million people in the United States, most of them women older than 40.

Maintaining the body’s barrier defenses at sites such as the skin and mucosal surfaces is critical for health and survival. These barriers are continually exposed to foreign substances and infectious agents, and are home to a diverse array of commensal microbes—microorganisms that cause no harm and are part of the normal flora.