Research progress on the role of environmental and epigenetic regulation in the occurrence and malignant transformation of Sjögren's Syndrome
FAN Yixin
WANG Shu
Abstract：Sjogren's syndrome(SS)is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the immune-mediated dysfunction of exocrine glands,particularly the salivary and lacrimal glands..The etiology of SS is multifactorial,involving a complex interplay of genetic predisposition,hormonal influences,environmental triggers,and epigenetic modifications.The hallmark clinical features are xerophthalmia and xerostomia.In more advanced stages of the disease,a subset of patients may develop systemic complications,with an increased risk of malignant transformation,particularly to B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma,including mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue(MALT)lymphoma.In recent years,the role of environmental and epigenetic factors in autoimmune diseases has gradually attracted attention.Environmental factors(such as viral infections,vitamin D deficiency,smoking,etc.)and abnormal epigenetic regulation(such as DNA methylation,histone modification,etc.)play a key role in the occurrence and carcinogenesis of SS.Environmental factors may promote changes in epigenetic modifications by inducing oxidative stress,chronic inflammation,and abnormal immune activation,thereby affecting B cell proliferation,apoptosis escape,and malignant transformation.This article aims to review the research progress of environmental and epigenetic factors in SS and related lymphomas.
Keywords：epigeneticsSjögren's syndromelymphomaenvironmental factorssex hormonesEpstein-Barr virushepatitis C virus
Publication Date：2026-01-20
Online Publishing Date：2026-02-04(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 64-68 )