Long-term clinical course and outcome in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease

Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 18;11(1):12827. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-92024-2.

Abstract

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common lung manifestation in patients with Sjögren syndrome (SJS) and is associated with poor outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the long-term clinical course and prognostic factors in patients with SJS-ILD. Clinical data and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images of 62 patients with primary SJS-ILD were retrospectively analyzed (biopsy-proven cases, n = 16). The mean patient age was 59.8 years; 83.9% of the patients were females, and 38.7% showed a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on HRCT. The median follow-up period was 61.5 months. During follow-up, 15 patients (24.2%) died, 7 (11.3%) experienced acute exacerbation (AE), and 27 (43.5%) progressed. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 93.5%, 85.8%, and 81.1%, respectively. Age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.158, P = 0.003), C-reactive protein (CRP) level (HR: 1.212, P = 0.045), FVC (HR: 0.902, P = 0.005), and a UIP pattern on HRCT (HR: 4.580, P = 0.029) were significant prognostic factors in multivariable Cox analysis. In conclusion, death, AE, and ILD progression occurred in 25%, 10%, and 50% of the patients with SJS-ILD, respectively. Older age, higher CRP level, lower FVC, and a UIP pattern on HRCT indicated poor prognosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Disease Management
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / diagnosis
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / epidemiology*
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / etiology*
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / mortality
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Public Health Surveillance
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / complications*
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / epidemiology*
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / mortality