Evaluation of lip salivary gland biopsy in 21 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Lip salivary gland biopsy was performed in 21 (20 female) patients, age 26 to 74 years, with primary Sjögren's syndrome. The procedure helped identify a patient group with many autoimmune phenomena, including hypergammaglobulinemia, autoantibodies, autoimmune thyroiditis, vasculitis, and immunocytoma. A marked association with the HLA-DR3 antigen was noted. It is concluded that lip salivary gland biopsy is a simple and safe procedure that makes possible the identification among non-RA patients with sicca symptoms those who have autoimmune disturbance. This patient group deserves close medical supervision in order to detect autoimmune disease that requires treatment, such as autoimmune thyroiditis and lymphoma.