Role of chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCR3 in the serum and minor salivary gland tissues of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the serum and expression levels of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9), CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXC receptor 3 (CXCR3) in minor salivary glands (MSGs) of patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), and to explore their correlations with clinical parameters. Serum samples from 49 patients diagnosed with pSS, 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 30 healthy controls (HCs) were collected for measurements of CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCR3. Additionally, CXCL levels in the MSG tissues were measured in 41 patients who underwent MSG biopsy. Correlations between CXCL and CXCL/CXCR levels in serum/MSG tissues and clinical factors/salivary scintigraphy parameters were analyzed. Serum CXCL11 and CXCR3 showed statistically significant differences among patients with pSS and RA and HCs (serum CXCL11, pSS:RA:HC = 235.6 ± 500.1 pg/mL:90.0 ± 200.3 pg/mL:45.9 ± 53.6 pg/mL; p = 0.041, serum CXCR3, pSS:RA:HC = 3.27 ± 1.32 ng/mL:3.29 ± 1.17 ng/mL:2.00 ± 1.12 ng/mL; p < 0.001). Serum CXCL10 showed a statistically significant difference between pSS (64.5 ± 54.2 pg/mL) and HCs (18.6 ± 18.1 pg/mL, p < 0.001), while serum CXCL9 did not exhibit a significant difference among the groups. Correlation analysis of clinical factors revealed that serum CXCL10 and CXCL11 levels positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( r = 0.524, p < 0.001 and r = 0.707, p < 0.001, respectively), total protein ( r = 0.375, p = 0.008 and r = 0.535, p < 0.001, respectively), globulin ( r = 0.539, p < 0.001 and r = 0.639, p < 0.001, respectively), and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology SS Disease Activity Index ( r = 0.305, p = 0.033 and r = 0.321, p = 0.025). Additionally, serum CXCL10 negatively correlated with the Schirmer test score ( r = − 0.354, p = 0.05), while serum CXCL11 positively correlated with the biopsy focus score ( r = 0.612, p = 0.02). In the MSG tissue, the percentage of infiltrating CXCL9-positive cells was highest (75.5%), followed by CXCL10 (29.1%) and CXCL11 (27.9%). In the correlation analysis, CXCL11-expressing cells were inversely related to the mean washout percentage on salivary gland scintigraphy ( r = − 0.448, p = 0.007). Our study highlights distinct serum and tissue chemokine patterns in pSS, emphasizing CXCL9’s potential for early diagnosis. This suggests that CXCL10 and CXCL11 are indicators of disease progression, warranting further investigation into their roles in autoimmune disorders beyond pSS.