title: [Primary Sjögren's syndrome. A longitudinal study of 68 patients].
abstract: There are only few studies, regarding primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) long-term clinical course. Moreover, it has been often studied in a restricted number of patients, employing different recruitment and diagnostic criteria. During a 10 years follow-up, we longitudinally evaluate clinical course as well as severe complications and mortality rates in 68 patients with pSS, diagnosed according to the Fox's criteria. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the autoantibodies pattern detected at the diagnosis: anti-Ro and/or La positive and anti-Ro La negative. Glandular manifestations of pSS were distinctively present in the majority of patients already at time of the diagnosis and serological findings remained typically constant during the whole follow-up. Increased IgG, IgA and ESR as well as low C4 serum levels were significantly prevalent in the Ro and/or La positive group. Finally, we did not found any significant increase in the mortality rate of pSS patients in comparison with the general population.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra e Divisione di Reumatologia, Università Padova.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Botsios
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ostuni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sfriso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grava
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andretta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Todesco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies