The prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome in adult women.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) according to European criteria (1993) and to the US-European Consensus Group (US-EU) criteria (2002) in adult women in Bornova, Izmir, Turkey.


METHODS
The study was designed as a two-phase cross-sectional survey consisting of a baseline questionnaire and collection of blood samples and clinical examination. In the initial phase, positivity for autoantibodies Ro(SS-A), La(SS-B), rheumatoid factor (RF), and anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) was determined, and in the clinical phase, clinical examination, salivary and ocular tests were performed. Minor salivary gland biopsy was performed for those who had at least three of these five criteria positive.


RESULTS
In our sample the prevalence of SS was 1.56% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92-2.66] according to the European criteria and 0.72% (95% CI 0.33-1.57) according to the US-EU criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
To prevent the loss in diagnosis of pSS, the addition of ANA, RF, and tear break-up time (BUT) tests to US-EU criteria would be appropriate.
Kabasakal
Y
Y
Department of Rheumatology, Ege University, Turkey. yaseminkabasakal@yahoo.com
Kitapcioglu
G
G
Turk
T
T
Oder
G
G
Durusoy
R
R
Mete
N
N
Egrilmez
S
S
Akalin
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000097:blood; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States; D000097585:SS-B Antigen; D000099207:SS-A Antigen
D001324:Autoantigens; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000097585:SS-B Antigen; D000099207:SS-A Antigen