Baseline characteristics of KCS-PSS, KCS-SSS, and KCS-NS patient groups
| KCS-PSS (n=31) | KCS-SSS (n=19) | KCS-NS (n=56) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female (%) | 29 (93) | 11 (58) a | 37 (66) b | ** |
| Age (SD) | 55.8 (13.2) | 58.2 (13.2) | 50.7 (16.0) | |
| Duration (SD) | 5.4 (5.1) | 3.0 (2.6) | 3.4 ( 3.6) | |
| Dryness of eyes (%) | 28 (90) | 15 (79) | 51 (91) | |
| Sandy feelings in eyes | 25 (81) | 10 (53) a | 47 (84)* | |
| Inflammatory reaction in eyes | 12 (39) | 2 (10) | 16 (29) | |
| Tear lysozyme concentration (μg/ml) (SD) | 511 (308) | 1066 (770)a | 1061 (727)b | *** |
| Schirmer-I test (mm/5 min) (SD) | 4.5 (3.3) | 6.6 (5.0) | 9.9 (8.7)b | ** |
| Rose bengal test (SD) | 4.6 (1.7) | 3.0 (1.7)a | 3.4 (2.0)b | ** |
KCS-PSS = keratoconjunctivitis sicca in association with primary Sjögren’s syndrome; KCS-SSS = keratoconjunctivitis sicca in association with secondary Sjögren’s syndrome; KCS-NS = keratoconjunctivitis sicca not related to Sjögren’s syndrome.
Statistical significance of differences between all three patient groups: * = 0.01 < p < 0.05; ** = 0.001 < p < 0.01; *** = p < 0.001.
Statistical significance of differences between KCS-PSS and KCS-SSS patient groups: a = p < 0.05. Statistical significance of differences between with KCS-PSS and KCS-NS patient groups: b = p < 0.05.
Abnormal values: tear lysozyme concentration <1400 μg/ml; Schirmer-I test ⩽ 5 mm/5 min; rose bengal test ⩾3.