Surfactant for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients with Primary Sjogren’s Syndrome: A randomised, placebo controlled study.

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Our group has recently found that women with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (an autoimmune disease causing dry eyes and mouth) are considerably more likely to suffer obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) compared to women without Sjogren’s syndrome. OSA is a common condition in which the upper airway repeatedly closes during sleep and can lead to severe daytime sleepiness, one of the common problems reported by Sjogren’s sufferers. A likely key cause of OSA in Sjogren’s syndrome is reduced and stickier airway secretions that may predispose to airway obstruction and disturbed sleep at night. Recent research in OSA patients without Sjogren’s syndrome has shown that lubricating the upper airway with a substance called surfactant improves OSA. Surfactants are naturally produced in the lung and work by decreasing the “stickiness” (surface tension) of fluids. Therefore, at least in OSA patients without Sjogren’s syndrome, surfactants applied to the upper airway appear to help the airway to stay open and reopen more easily if it becomes closed. Women with Sjogren’s syndrome are likely to similarly benefit from this form of treatment. The aim of this study is to determine whether the topical application of surfactant in women with primary Sjogren’s Syndrome who have obstructive sleep apnoea as well, will reduce the severity of their OSA and salivary stickiness and will improve their symptoms of overnight dryness and general morning well-being or not.

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