Table 1 Clinical and laboratory characteristics of the study population.

Age at the baseline CT, years

67.1 (12.4)

57.1 (10.2)

 < 0.00^a

Male, n (%)

7 (17.9)

6 (7.4)

0.115^c

Smoking, n (%)

6 (15.4)

1 (1.2)

0.005^c

Follow-up, years, median (IQR)

4.1 (2.3–5.5)

4.5 (2.9–5.4)

0.622^b

Interval time between the baseline and last CT, years, median (IQR)

3.2 (1.4–5.0)

2.8 (1.1–4.1)

0.169^b

Body mass index, kg/m²

23.1 (3.1)

23.3 (3.6)

0.731^a

Abnormal Schirmer’s test, n (%)

23/23 (100)

58/66 (87.9)

0.106^d

Unstimulated salivary flow rate, ml/minute

0.18 (0.21)

0.19 (0.20)

0.883^a

Ocular staining score ≥ 5, n (%)

6/19 (31.6)

23/57 (40.3)

0.495^d

Laboratory findings

Positive anti-Ro60, n (%)

23 (58.9)

50 (61.7)

0.772^c

Positive anti-Ro52, n (%)

25 (64.1)

39 (48.1)

0.072^c

Positive anti-La/SSB, n (%)

5 (12.8)

15 (18.5)

0.433^c

Anti-Ro60, median (IQR)

1 (0–3)

2 (0–3)

0.741^b

Anti-Ro52, median (IQR)

3 (0–3)

0 (0–3)

0.045^b

Anti-La/SSB, median (IQR)

0 (0–0)

0 (0–0)

0.468^b

Rheumatoid factor, IU/ml (normal range 0–14)

23.7 (34.1)

48.9 (266.4)

0.632^a

IgG, mg/dL

1607 (775)

1290 (745)

0.094^a

LDH, U/L

231.7 (53.9)

195.0 (38.1)

 < 0.001^a

Focus score, median (IQR)

1 (1–2)

1 (1–2)

1.000^b

Focus score ≥ 1, n (%)

30/31 (96.8)

66/69 (95.6)

1.000^c

Total SGUS OMERACT scores, median (IQR)

4 (0–7.75)

4 (0–8)

0.866^b

Organ involvement

SSDDI, median (IQR)

4 (2–5)

2 (1–3)

 < 0.001^b

Arthritis, n (%)

7 (17.9)

12 (14.8)

0.660^c

Purpura, n (%)

1 (2.5)

2 (2.4)

1.000^d

Autoimmune hepatitis, n (%)

2 (5.1)

2 (2.4)

0.595^d

Lymphoma, n (%)

1 (2.5)

2 (2.4)

1.000^d

FVC at baseline, % predicted

83.2 (19.8)

83.0 (38.7)

0.962^a

DLCO at baseline, % predicted

62.8 (82.7)

82.7 (14.1)

0.001^a