Characteristics of KCS-PSS, KCS-SSS, and KCS-NS patient groups at follow up
| KCS-PSS (n=21) | KCS -SSS (n=12) | KCS-NS (n=38) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female (%) | 19 (90) | 8 (67) a | 29 (76) b | ** |
| Age (SD) | 65.8 (15.5) | 66.2 (13.2) | 58.9 (14.8) | |
| Duration (SD) | 17.7 (6.4) | 14.4 (1.8) | 15.4 (4.4) | |
| Dryness of eyes (%) | 19 (90) | 9 (75) | 30 (79) | |
| Sandy feelings in eyes | 15 (71) | 4 (33) | 26 (68) | |
| Inflammatory reaction in eyes | 2 (9) | 0 (0) | 1 (3) | |
| Tear lysozyme concentration (μg/ml) (SD) | 815 (570) | 1971 (1029) a | 2163 (1252) b | *** |
| Tear lactoferrin concentration | 5.5 (2.2) | 12.5 (4.7) a | 12.0 (5.5) b | *** |
| Schirmer-I test (mm/5 min) | 6.2 (2.2) | 13.6 (8.0) a | 14.0 (9.4) b | ** |
| BUT | 3.8 (4.4) | 7.0 (4.5) | 7.1 (3.8) b | * |
| Rose bengal test | 4.7 (2.0) | 3.3 (1.3) | 2.1 (1.6) 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.
BUT = break up time of tear film.
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 < 0.01. Statistical significance of differences between KCS-PSS and KCS-NS patient groups:
b = p < 0.01.
Abnormal values: tear lysozyme concentration <1400 μg/ml; tear lactoferrin concentration <9.8 mm diameter of precipitation (= <950 μg/ml); Schirmer-I test ⩽ 5 mm/5 min; BUT = break up time of tear film < 10 seconds; rose bengal test ⩾3.