Sicca symptoms, saliva and tear production, and disease variables in 636 patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives-(1) To estimate the prevalence of ocular and oral sicca symptoms (SISY) or reduced saliva and tear production; (2) to relate SISY and sicca signs to measures of disease activity, damage, and health status; and (3) to examine the relation between symptoms and objective signs of tear and sa liva production in a large sample of representative patients with rheumatoi d arthritis (RA). Methods-From an unselective county RA register 636 patients (age 20-70 year s) were examined with Schirmer-I test (ST), unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) , questions on SISY and measures of disease activity, damage and health sta tus. Results-Ocular sicca symptoms were reported in 38%, oral sicca symptoms in 50%, and a combination of both in 27%. Reduced rear production was present in 29%, and reduced saliva production in 17%. The minimum frequency of seco ndary Sjogren's syndrome was 7%. Measurements of exocrine disease manifesta tions were to variable extents bivariately correlated to disease activity m easures, physical disability, pain, fatigue, and use of xerogenic drugs, bu t were not related to deformed joint count. Multivariate analyses revealed significant associations between disease activity and reduced saliva produc tion. Only weak associations between SISY and tear or saliva production wer e observed. Conclusion-SISY, reduced tear and saliva production were frequent extraarti cular manifestations in EW, but were only weakly intercorrelated. High dise ase activity and at least two SISY were independent predictors of reduced s aliva production, but ocular and oral dryness did not seem to be closely re lated to disease duration, disease activity, damage or health status.