Sirois, D A, Natelson, B · The Journal of rheumatology · 2001
Some people with ME/CFS experience dry eyes and dry mouth, which are also common symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. This study tested 25 ME/CFS patients and 18 healthy volunteers for signs of Sjögren's syndrome using eye tests, saliva gland biopsies, and blood tests. The researchers found that about one-third of the ME/CFS patients had findings consistent with primary Sjögren's syndrome, while none of the healthy volunteers did.
This study suggests that a clinically significant subset of ME/CFS patients may have concurrent primary Sjögren's syndrome, which could explain overlapping symptoms like dry eyes and mouth and has implications for diagnosis and treatment. Understanding whether these conditions co-occur or share pathophysiological mechanisms could lead to better targeted management and improved patient care.
This study does not establish that Sjögren's syndrome causes ME/CFS or vice versa—only that the two conditions may co-occur in some patients. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or temporal relationships, and the small sample size limits generalizability to all ME/CFS populations. It also does not determine whether shared pathophysiology exists between the conditions.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Sirois, D A & Natelson, B (2001). Clinicopathological findings consistent with primary Sjögren's syndrome in a subset of patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary observations.. The Journal of rheumatology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11196514/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-sirois-2001-clinicopathological-findings,
author = {Sirois, D A and Natelson, B},
title = {Clinicopathological findings consistent with primary Sjögren's syndrome in a subset of patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary observations.},
journal = {The Journal of rheumatology},
year = {2001},
note = {PubMed: 11196514},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/sirois-2001-clinicopathological-findings},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/sirois-2001-clinicopathological-findings
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