HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lazarus, M N Articles by Isenberg, D A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lazarus, M N Articles by Isenberg, D A

Development of additional autoimmune diseases in a population of patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome

Centre for Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University College London, London, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor D A Isenberg
Centre for Rheumatology, The Middlesex Hospital, University College London, Arthur Stanley House, 40–50 Tottenham Street, London W1T 4NJ, UK; d.isenberg{at}ucl.ac.uk

ABSTRACT
Background: To investigate whether patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) have an increased tendency to develop other autoimmune diseases.

Methods: A retrospective case note review was carried out on 114 patients in whom a diagnosis of pSS had been made in a department of rheumatology from 1979 onwards. The year of diagnosis of pSS was recorded, plus the diagnosis and year of diagnosis of any other identified autoimmune disease.

Results: Of the 114 patients with pSS, seven (6%) were male and 107 (94%) female. Mean age at diagnosis of pSS was 53 years (range 21 to 83). Patients were followed up for an average of 10.5 years (range 0 to 23). Thirty eight patients (33.3%) were diagnosed as having another autoimmune disease, while nine (7.9%) had two or more. Thirteen additional autoimmune diseases were identified. Twenty five diagnoses (51.0%) were made before the diagnosis of pSS, three (6.1%) within the same year, and 21 (42.9%) after the diagnosis. Hypothyroidism was the most common autoimmune disease (n = 16).

Conclusions: Although pSS is a relatively benign condition, affected individuals have an increased tendency to develop additional autoimmune diseases. Patients with pSS should be monitored on a regular basis for such diseases.

Abbreviations: ACR, American College of Rheumatology; ANA, antinuclear antibodies; pSS, primary Sjögren’s syndrome; RF, rheumatoid factor

Keywords: autoimmune disease; Sjögren’s syndrome

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. ALESSANDRI, R. SCRIVO, F. R. SPINELLI, F. CECCARELLI, L. MAGRINI, R. PRIORI, and G. VALESINI Autoantibody Production in Anti-TNF-{alpha}-Treated Patients Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., September 1, 2007; 1110(1): 319 - 329. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]