title: Secondary Sjögren's syndrome and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship of the presence of secondary SS with disease activity, duration in RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty two patients with RA were submitted to Schirmer test, minor salivary gland biopsy, questionnaire on sicca symptoms, DAS-28 4v determination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this population, 20 (24.3%) patients fulfilled the American-European classification criteria for secondary SS. No relation could be found between the presence of secondary SS and disease activity (p = 0.31) and RA duration (p = 0.95).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Appearance of Secondary SS in RA patients is independent of RA duration or activity.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário Evangélico de Curitiba, Curitiba, PR.
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Antero
authors.forename: André G M
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: Fernando H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gehlen
authors.forename: Thelma L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Skare
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology