Functional genomics: reverse engineering using high-throughput methods for serological and salivary analysis in patients with Sjögren's syndrome

• Grant number: 18/00419-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2018
• End date: May 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Silvia Vanessa Lourenço
• Grantee: Giovanna Piacenza Florezi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a progressive inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects the exocrine salivary and lacrimal glands. The most important manifestation of the disease is the sicca syndrome, which is characterized by the decrease of salivary and lacrimal secretions, leading to a dry eye and mouth sensation. The pSS patients also present a series of severe systemic manifestations, such as a high potential of developing lymphoma, to which one in every five deaths can be attributed among these patients. The diagnosis of pSS is currently made by clinical, serological and histological correlation. There is however no specific biomarkers with enough scientific relevance to aid the diagnosis and to stablish a prognosis for the disease. Although the pathophysiology of the pSS is partially described, the mechanisms that initiate the disease remain unclear. For these reasons, this study aims to utilize high-throughput methods, to stablish a metabolic and transcriptional profile by the analysis of pSS patients' blood and saliva. The interface between these profiles will allow reverse and functional analysis of genes responsible for initiating and maintaining the processes perceived in the disease, and specific biomarkers can be therefore delineated, which may contribute to the development of diagnostic tests using saliva as a practical and non-invasive procedure.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

FLOREZI, Giovanna Piacenza. Functional genomics: reverse engineering using high-throughput methods for serological and salivary analysis in patients with Sjögrens syndrome. 2022. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Odontologia (FO/SDO) São Paulo.