| Patients with pSS (n = 47) | DC (n = 35) | HC (n = 120) | p Value* pSS vs DC | p Value* pSS vs HC | |
| Mean age (SD) | 49.72 (11.22) | 51.57 (14.92) | 52.53 (10.53) | NS | NS |
| Female:male ratio | 41:6 | 30:5 | 102:18 | NS | NS |
| Presenting symptoms | |||||
| Dry eyes | 34 (72. 3)† | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Dry mouth | 38 (80.8) | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Parotid enlargement | 5 (10.6) | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Weight loss | NA | 32 (91.4)† | NA | NA | NA |
| Fatigue | NA | 30 (85.7) | NA | NA | NA |
| Fever | NA | 20 (57.1) | NA | NA | NA |
| Night sweats | NA | 22 (62.8) | NA | NA | NA |
| Malaise | NA | 18 (51.4) | NA | NA | NA |
| Family status | |||||
| Married | 38 (80.9) | 26 (74.3) | 88 (73.3)† | NS | NS |
| Widowed | 2 (4.3) | 1 (2.9) | 4 (3.3) | NS | NS |
| Divorced | 3 (6.4) | 2 (5.7) | 6 (5.0) | NS | NS |
| Unmarried with partner | 0 (0) | 1 (2.9) | 17 (14.2) | NS | <0.05 |
| Single | 4 (8.5) | 5 (14.3) | 3 (4.2) | NS | NS |
| Residential status | |||||
| Big city | 34 (72.3) | 30 (85.7) | 81 (67.5) | NS | NS |
| Outskirts | 2 (4.3) | 1 (2.9) | 26 (21.7) | NS | <0.01 |
| Provincial town | 5 (10.6) | 4 (11.4) | 9 (7.5) | NS | NS |
| Village | 6 (12.8) | 0 (0) | 4 (3.3) | <0.05 | <0.05 |
| Educational status | |||||
| Mean educational | 10.91 (3.62) | 9.86 (2.93) | 10.33 (2.91) | NS | NS |
| Years (SD) | |||||
| Occupational status | |||||
| Employed | 21 (44.7) | 10 (28.6) | 76 (63.3) | NS | <0.05 |
| Unemployed–retired | 11 (23.4) | 3 (8.6) | 17 (14.2) | NS | NS |
| Housewives | 15 (31.9) | 22 (62.9) | 27 (22.5) | <0.01 | NS |
| Smokers | 6 (12.8) | 8 (22.9) | 44 (36.7) | NS | <0.01 |
| Alcohol overuse | 10 (21.3) | 6 (17.1) | 56 (46.7) | NS | <0.01 |
| Exercise habits | |||||
| Never | 29 (61.7) | 27 (77.1) | 67 (55.8) | NS | NS |
| Once a week | 11 (23.4) | 7 (20.0) | 41 (34.2) | NS | NS |
| More than once a week | 7 (14.9) | 1 (2.9) | 12 (10.0) | NS | NS |
DC, disease controls (patients with lymphoma); HC, healthy controls; NA, not applicable; NS, not significant; pSS, primary Sjögren’s syndrome.
*Significant two-tailed using Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables and Fisher exact test for categorical.
†In brackets, the corresponding percentages are shown.