Abstract
Background
Sjögren's disease belongs to the group of collagenoses, it is characterized by xerophthalmia and xerostomia and typically shows autoimmune phenomena in laboratory test parameters (mostly specific antibodies against cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complexes). So far there is no approved immunomodulatory treatment for Sjögren's disease but that may soon change.Aims and methods
Patients with Sjögren's disease were prospectively and consecutively included in a descriptive single-center study to be assessed with the EULAR Sjögren's disease activity index (ESSDAI) and the EULAR Sjögren's disease patient reported index (ESSPRI).Results
Within a time period of 20 weeks during the first months of 2026 a total of 70 patients with Sjögren's disease were documented (62 with primary Sjögren's disease) of whom 68 fulfilled the classification criteria for Sjögren's disease (97%). The mean age was 60.5 years (range 24-84 years), 98% were female and the mean duration of sicca symptoms was 9.7±8.2 years (range 1-25 years). Almost two thirds of the patients regularly used eyedrops and 25% were treated with hydroxychloroquine and 12% with methotrexate. The mean ESSPRI score was 5.4 and the mean ESSDAI was 9.7 points. In the former the focus was on the sicca symptoms (6.3), followed by tiredness (5.7) and pain (5). For the ESSDAI joint pain (63%) was most frequently reported, followed by gland-related (43%), constitutional symptoms (13%) and lymphadenopathy (8%), whereas for laboratory parameters biological (44%) and hematological (15%) abnormalities were reported. Overall, 42 patients had an ESSPRI score ≥5 (60.0%) and 34 had an ESSDAI score ≥5 (48.6%). Only 13 female patients had a score ≤5 in both ESSDAI and ESSPRI (18.6%). Of the patients 20 (28.6%) had an ESSPRI score ≥5 and an ESSDAI score ≥5.Discussion
This observational study shows that a not insubstantial number of patients with Sjögren's disease would fulfil the criteria for immunomodulatory treatment.