Estrogen drop triggers Sjogren's syndrome

Researchers at the University of Tokushima, Japan, have found that estrogen levels are causing protein "RBAP" to be active and eventually lead to Sjogren's syndrome. Sjogren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease which is mainly secreted by glands of lacrimal gland and salivary gland, mainly manifested as dry corneal conjunctivitis, dry mouth disease or rheumatoid arthritis.　　More commonly seen in menopausal women. The research team led by Professor Lin Liangfu of the University of Tokushima studied the "RBAP" of retinal cancer-related proteins. In animal experiments, the researchers confirmed that the "RBAP" gene became active if the estrogen concentration in the mice was reduced, resulting in a similar symptom to the Sjogren's syndrome. The researchers say estrogen levels are associated with the onset of Sjogren's syndrome, which makes it easy to understand why menopausal women are susceptible to the disease.