Evolution of diagnostic criteria for Sjögren′s Syndrome

Sjögren′s syndrome lacks a single and objective diagnostic index, and its diagnosis often requires comprehensive analysis according to classification criteria. With increasing research and a deepening understanding of the disease, the classification criteria are constantly being adjusted and revised. The sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis have gradually improved, which has the value of diagnostic criteria largely. Since 1965, more than ten diagnostic criterias for Sjögren′s syndrome have been published. After debate and experience, international criteria with wide applicability have gradually replaced regional criteria. In the evolution of the diagnostic criteria, the diagnostic rules and evaluation methods have become more concise and unified. Techniques with poor specificity and operative difficulty, which are not easy to popularize or apply in the clinic, have gradually been eliminated. A diagnostic system based on an objective examination and subjective symptoms has gradually formed, and lip gland biopsy and serum autoantibody sampling have demonstrated great diagnostic value. The optimization of diagnostic rules makes the diagnosis of this disease more efficient and scientific. This paper reviews the characteristics of and differences in diagnostic criteria for Sjögren′s syndrome and analyzes the internal logic of the evolution of different diagnostic criteria in light of development in research on the disease with the hope of benefitting the diagnosis, treatment and related research of Sjögren′s syndrome.