RF should be considered as a prognostic, but not diagnostic, factor in patients with pSS, as it is associated with more severe disease course (sicca eye symptoms, ESSDAI) and parameters (production of gammaglobulins, ANA, anti SS-A, anti-SS-B autoantibodies) indicating increased B cell activity.
The prevalence of ANA was increased in most patients with systemic especially in neuropathy (NP), hemolytic anemia (HA), primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS), dermatomyositis (DM), thrombocytopenia (Tb), systemic sclerosis (SSc), ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), AP, Renal impairment (RI), SLE, and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).
We confirm the strong influence of immunological markers on the phenotype of primary SjS at diagnosis in the largest multi-ethnic international cohort ever analysed, with a greater influence for cryoglobulinaemic-related markers in comparison with Ro/La autoantibodies and ANA.