Primary Sjogren's syndrome in men.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Immunology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease predominantly affecting women.
• Understanding potential clinical and biological sex-based differences in pSS is essential for accurate diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate clinical and biological variations between male and female patients diagnosed with primary Sjogren's syndrome.
• To analyze differences in extraglandular manifestations, hematological parameters, and lymphoma development in a large bicentric cohort.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 419 patients with pSS, diagnosed according to American-European criteria, was analyzed.
• Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between the 42 male patients and the female patient group.

Main Results:

• Male patients exhibited a lower frequency of depression or asthenia compared to females (5% vs. 20%).
• Women reported higher rates of lymphopenia and leukopenia at onset, while men had a higher incidence of thrombocytopenia.
• Lymphoma development was slightly more common and occurred earlier in male patients, though not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• Primary Sjogren's syndrome can occur in male patients, and clinicians should consider this possibility.
• Except for hematological differences, clinical and immunological characteristics of pSS are largely similar between sexes.