title: Risk of asthma in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: a retrospective cohort study.
abstract: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) has been associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma; however, no population-based cohort study has been performed. We evaluated the risk of asthma in patients with primary SS in a nationwide population.
  
  
  
  We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The primary SS group included 4725 adult patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2006. Each patient was frequency-matched with four people without SS by sex, age and year of diagnosis. The occurrence and hazard ratio (HR) of asthma was monitored by the end of 2011.
  
  
  
  The overall incidence density of asthma was 1.62-fold higher in the primary SS group than in the non-SS group (9.86 vs. 6.10 per 1000 person-years), with a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model measured adjusted HR of 1.38 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.21-1.58]. Stratified analyses by sex, age group, and presence of comorbidity revealed that asthma incidences were all higher in the primary SS group than in the non-SS group, and the relative HRs of asthma associated with primary SS were significant in all subgroups.
  
  
  
  Patients with primary SS are associated with an increased risk of developing asthma. We should pay more attention to this group of individuals and provide them with appropriate support.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.|Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2 Yu-De Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.|Terry Fox Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Te-Chun
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsuan-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chang-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.|Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2 Yu-De Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2 Yu-De Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.|Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2 Yu-De Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Te-Chun
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hsia
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2 Yu-De Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chuen-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2 Yu-De Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wu-Huei
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404, Taiwan. fcsung1008@yahoo.com.|Department of Health Services Administration, China Medical University, Taichung, 404, Taiwan. fcsung1008@yahoo.com.|College of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, No. 1168 Chunrongxi Road, Kunming, 650500, YuanNan, China. fcsung1008@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fung-Chang
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 404, Taiwan. artbau2@gmail.com.|Terry Fox Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404, Taiwan. artbau2@gmail.com.|Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Asia University, No. 500 Lioufeng Road, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan. artbau2@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Da-Tian
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Bau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Asthma; Autoimmunity; Retrospective cohort study; Sjögren’s syndrome (SS)