Prognostic Value of the Pilocarpine Test to Identify Patients Who May Obtain Long-term Relief From Xerostomia by Acupuncture Treatment

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Abstract
XEROSTOMIA, a decreased production or total lack of salivary secretion, is present in about 40% of people older than 50 years.1 Patients with decreased salivary function have difficulty speaking, eating, and swallowing; they have a decreased sense of taste, ulcerations or soreness of the mouth, greater incidence of fungal infections, poor denture retention, and rapid progress of dental caries. Xerostomia is a common adverse effect of many medications but may also be due to therapeutic irradiation, autoimmune disease, and endocrinological disorders. Sjögren syndrome (SS) is one of the systemic diseases that causes salivary dysfunction and dry mouth. Sjögren syndrome is an autoimmune exocrinopathy involving, in particular, the salivary and lacrimal glands. It may occur alone as primary SS or as secondary SS if it is in association with an autoimmune disorder and various connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis), systemic lupus erythematosus, biliary cirrhosis, or polymyositis.2-5 Xerostomia is also a common adverse effect of radiotherapy for the treatment of head and neck cancers. Atrophy of salivary glands and dysfunctional changes of the vascular and connective tissues in the gland often lead to decreased salivary secretion in these patients6,7