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CompletedNCT04816370Updated Mar 25, 2021

Effects of Primary Sjögren's Syndrome on Female Genitalia and Sexual Functions

An interventional study of FSFI in Primary Sjögren Syndrome, sponsored by Ankara Education and Research Hospital. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to female participants aged 20 Years to 70 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-03-25.

Sponsored by Ankara Education and Research Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Screening

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 5 years 8 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Jul 2015, registered Mar 2021).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
68
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years to 70 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

A total of 68 women with pSS and 135 healthy female patients were included in the study. All women in the study and control groups were evaluated gynecologically, and genital findings during the examination and variables related to pSS were recorded. Women's sexual functions were evaluated with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and quality of life was evaluated using the Health Status Questionnaire-Short Form 36.

Read the detailed description

This prospective, single-center, cross-sectional case control study will include a total of 68 women with pSS who presented to the rheumatology outpatient clinic of a tertiary care hospital and 135 healthy females who presented to the gynecology outpatient clinic for reasons other than sexual dysfunction and had similar age and menopausal status to the pSS group. The diagnosis of pSS was made according to the American-European Consensus Group criteria. Age, gravity, parity, body mass index (BMI), education status, smoking status, menarche age, and menopausal status and duration will be recorded for all participants. Disease duration, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity, extractable nuclear antigen antibodies panel, extraglandular involvement and salivary gland pathologies were recorded. Disease-related variables (activity and function data, etc.), European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI), EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Visual Analog Scale-Pain (VAS-Pain) and fatigue scores and medicines used for pSS will be evaluated and recorded only in the pSS group. A gynecological examination will be performed in the lithotomy position in all participants in both groups by the same gynecologist with at least 15 years of professional experience. In order to determine vaginal atrophy, shrinkage and thinning of the mucosa, loss of rugae in the vagina and introitus stenosis are taken into consideration. The reduction of subcutaneous fat in the labia majora is evaluated as labial atrophy, and contraction in size and even retraction of the clitoral prepuce is interpreted as clitoral atrophy. Pain sensation on speculum examination will be assessed by VAS (rated from 0 to 10). Vaginal culture and cervico-vaginal smear will be analyzed, and the findings will be recorded.

Women aged over 20 and under 70 years will be included in the study. Pregnant patients and those with known hepatic, renal, interstitial lung, gynecological oncological diseases, psychiatric disorders, and communication impairment will be excluded from the study. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Health Status Questionnaire [Short Form (SF)-36], and Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale (HADS) will be administered to the women in both groups, and their scores were recorded. The data obtained from the study and control groups will be compared. The patients in the pSS group and healthy controls will be further divided into two subgroups according to their menopause status, and statistical comparisons will also be undertaken between these subgroups. A multivariate linear regression analysis will be performed, and the correlation of sexual function with other parameters is examined.

02

Conditions studied

  • Primary Sjögren Syndrome

Keywords

  • primary Sjögren's Syndrome
  • vaginal atrophy
  • sexual dysfunction
03

In context

Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological

126 studies on the registry are indexed under Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological; 45 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 68 is above the median of 60 across 88 interventional studies indexed under Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological.

Browse Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological studies →

Lead sponsor

Ankara Education and Research Hospital is the lead sponsor of 14 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 70 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

Clinical Diagnosis of pSS healthy females who presented to the gynecology outpatient clinic for reasons other than sexual dysfunction -

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Pregnancy hepatic, renal, interstitial lung, gynecological oncological diseases, psychiatric disorders communication impairment

-

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Screening
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
68 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    pSS group

    primary Sjögren's syndrome group

    Diagnostic Test: FSFI

  • Experimental
    Control Group

    Control group

    Diagnostic Test: FSFI

  • Experimental
    pSS Premenopausal

    primary Sjögren's syndrome premenopausal patients

    Diagnostic Test: FSFI

  • Experimental
    pSS Postmenopausal

    primary Sjögren's syndrome postmenopausal patients

    Diagnostic Test: FSFI

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testFSFI

    2 group and 2 subgroup

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Sexual Function

    The sexual functions of women participating in the study were evaluated in six subdomains, arousal, desire, lubrication, orgasm, pain, and satisfaction.Higher scores demonstrate preferable sexual function. The total score is obtained by adding the scores of six-subdomains

    Time frame: 1 day

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Ankara Training and Education Hospital
    Ankara, 06230, Turkey (Türkiye)
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Maddali Bongi S, Del Rosso A, Orlandi M, Matucci-Cerinic M. Gynaecological symptoms and sexual disability in women with primary Sjogren's syndrome and sicca syndrome. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2013 Sep-Oct;31(5):683-90. Epub 2013 May 27. PubMed 23710558 ↗
  • McCoy SS, Sampene E, Baer AN. Association of Sjogren's Syndrome With Reduced Lifetime Sex Hormone Exposure: A Case-Control Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2020 Sep;72(9):1315-1322. doi: 10.1002/acr.24014. PubMed 31233285 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 25, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04816370
Lead sponsor
Ankara Education and Research Hospital
Responsible party
Murat Gozukucuk (Principal Investigator, Ankara Education and Research Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Mar 25, 2021
Start date
Jul 2, 2015
Primary completion
Nov 15, 2020
Completion
Jan 25, 2021
Last update
Mar 25, 2021

Study contacts

Murat Gözüküçük
principal investigator · Ankara Training and Research Hospital

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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