Objectives : To investigate the clinical characteristics of Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
Methods : We. retrospectively reviewed 59 patients with SS in the period from January 1986 to January 1997. European Epidemiology Center criteria was used to diagnose SS.
Results : Thirty-one primary SS and 28 secondary SS patients were included in this study. There were 57 females and 2 males, the mean age was 45.2+12.3 years (24 to 70 years). Patients with secondary SS were associated with rheumatoid arthritis (n=10), systemic lupus erythematosus (n=7), scleroderma (n=5), mixed connective tissue disease (n=3), and myositis (n=3). The common presenting symptoms were dry mouth in 92% and dry eyes in 90% of patients. Other symptom and signs included fatigue (27%), lymphadenopathy (22%) and parotid gland swelling (10%). The commonly presented autoantibodies were antinuclear antibody (83%) and rheumatoid factor (57%). Anti-Ro was positive in 49% (25/51) and anti-La in 37% (19/51). Anti-La positivity was significantly higher in primary SS (52%) compared to secondary SS (21%) (p<0.05). Schirmer test was positive in 98% (44/45), salivary radioscintigraphy in 74%(25/34), and lower lip biopsy in 47% (16/34). Extraglandular manifestations, such as Raynaud's phenomenon, vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, vaginal dryness, renal tubular acidosis, and primary biliary cirrhosis, were more frequently presented in primary SS compared to secondary SS (p<0. 05).
Conclusion : The sex, age, and clinical manifestation of primary SS were similar with secondary SS, but extraglandular manifestations and anti-La antibody positivity were more frequent in primary SS.