Salivary lactoferrin in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Parotid salivary lactoferrin (LF) levels were measured in 26 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 19 patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) and 32 normal controls, by using a radial-immunodiffusion technique. The levels of LF were higher in SS than in KCS patients (23 +/- 21, 10 +/- 10, p less than 0.03) and in SS patients than in normals (7 +/- 6 micrograms/ml, p less than 0.001). There was some relationship of the LF level to the labial salivary gland histopathology grade.