Allergic disorders in primary Sjogren's syndrome

Allergic disorders have been described in a variety of connective tissue disorders. Although an association between allergy and primary Sjogren's syndrome has been suggested, it has not been well documented. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of several types of allergic disorders in a cohort of primary Sjogren's syndrome patients. The presence of an allergic disorder was evaluated by a specific questionnaire in 65 randomly selected primary Sjogren's syndrome patients and was compared to control groups of 67 rheumatoid arthritis patients, 53 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and sicca symptoms, and 31 patients with osteoarthritis. At least one type of allergic manifestation was reported by 42 of the 65 Sjogren's syndrome patients (65%). This rate was significantly higher than each of the three control groups (p<0.01). Only drug allergy and skin contact allergy were found to be more prevalent in Sjogren's syndrome patients than in the control groups (p <0.05). Allergic reactions were more common in Sjogren's syndrome patients who were anti-Ro positive (p <0.05). As drug and skin contact allergies are a frequent finding in Sjogren's syndrome patients, obtaining a careful history is needed before prescribing drugs in these patients.