Prevalence of Sjogren's syndrome in Slovenia

Objective. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of Sjogren' s syndrome (SS) in Slovenia., Methods. A total of 889 randomly selected adults were invited to take part in our study. The classification of SS was based on the validated criteria reported by a multicentre study performed in Europe. The participants were asked six simple questions for assessing both ocular and oral involvement. Information on co-morbidities and related treatment was collected at the sa me time. All participants were subjected to a Schirmer-I test, an unstimula ted salivary flow test, as well as serological studies (rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibodies, anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibodies). When ind icated, Rose Bengal score, salivary scintigraphy and histopathological inve stigation of the minor salivary glands were carried out until three out of the six European classification criteria for SS were shown to be negative o r until SS was diagnosed. Results. Out of the 889 invited subjects, 332 (37.3%) participated in our s tudy: 183 females, mean age (+/- S.D.) 52.2 +/- 13.7 yr (range 20-84) and 1 49 males, mean age (+/- S.D.) 56.3 +/- 12.9 yr (range 23-84). After the fir st visit, 244 of the 332 (73.5%) participants proved to be negative for thr ee out of the six above-mentioned criteria, and were eliminated from furthe r tests. The remaining 88 participants were consecutively subjected to Rose Bengal score, salivary scintigraphy and minor salivary gland biopsy. Fifte en participants refused to perform either one or more of the proposed tests at the second study stage. Two females of the 332 study participants [0.60 % (exact 95% CI 0.07%, 2.16%)] fulfilled the criteria for primary SS. Conclusions. The estimated prevalence of definite SS in Slovenia is 0.60%.