Abstract

The aim of our study was (i) to compare the clinical and biological characteristics of 148 (137 women, 11 men) primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients at diagnosis as a function of their sex and (ii) to assess the prognostic value of anti-calpastatin and anti-alpha-fodrin autoantibodies. In addition, the presence of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-52- and 60-kDa Sjögren's syndrome A (SSA), anti-Sjögren's syndrome B (SSB), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies and rheumatoid factors (RF) of IgA, IgG and IgM isotypes was sought in sera collected at pSS onset. Raynaud's syndrome, significantly more frequent in women, was the only systemic manifestation of pSS whose frequency differed significantly as a function of the patient's sex (P = 0.02). ANA (P = 0.001) and anti-60-kDa SSA autoantibodies (P = 0.03) were significantly more common in women, while men never synthesized detectable levels of anti-SSB, anti-calpastatin or IgG anti-alpha-fodrin autoantibodies. In addition, anti-CCP autoantibodies were found in low percentages of pSS patients (4% F/18% M). The absence of autoantibodies does not exclude the diagnosis of pSS in men that will be based mainly on the anatomopathological findings of a minor salivary gland biopsy. Positivity of anti-60-kDa SSA, anti-SSB, anti-calpastatin, IgA and IgG anti-alpha-fodrin antibodies is not associated with pSS clinical and biological severity.