Description of 74 patients' cohort in the south west part of Colombia with primary Sjögren Syndrome

Abstract

Objective: to describe the clinical and immunological characteristics of a cohort of patients with Primary Sjögren´s Syndrome (PSS) in the Southwest part of Colombia.

Materials and methods: a cohort of patients based in data collected from the study "Fc g receptor IIA, IIIA and IIIB polymorphisms in Colombian Primary Sjögren´s Syndrome" mean, ranges, standard deviation (SD) and percentages were used for data analysis.

Results: we included 74 colombian patients with PSS seen in the Rheumatology unit of the Fundación Valle del Lili, Cali, Colombia, between August 2001 and September 2006. 72 women (97.3%). The mean age was 51.32 years (range: 25 to 88, SD: 13.37), mean duration of disease 4.5 years (range: 1 to 21, SD: 11.5). Clinical disease manifestations: surface exocrine disease was seen in 74 patients (100%), exocrine internal organ manifestation in 25 (33.8%), monoclonal B ­ lymphocytes! in one (1.4%), inflammatory-vascular disease in 67 (90.5%), non inflammatory vascular 30 (40.5%), mediator induced signs and symptoms in 49 (66.2%) and autoimmune endocrine disease in 23 (31.1%). Antinuclear antibodies were positive in 60 patients (81.1%), anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies in 55 (74.3%), anti-La/SS-B antibodies in 26 (35%) and rheumatoid factor positive in 39 (52.7%). The possible "immune complex deposit mediated manifestation" in 27(36.5%). The PSS diagnosis was confirmed by minor salivary gland biopsy with a mean focus score of 3. The general presentations of this series were not different from other Colombian series of patients (Antioquia and Cundinamarca geographic areas).

Conclusion: this study presents the general description of a cohort PSS patients of the Southwest region of Colombia. Clinical and immunological characteristics were similar to other colombian patients in other geographic areas.