The ASSESS National Multi-center Prospective Cohort

The ASSESS national multi-center prospective cohort (Assessment of Systemic complications (Signs) and Evolution in Sjögren's Syndrome "SS") was set up in 2006 thanks to a grant of the French Ministry of Health. Fifteen centers for autoimmune diseases consecutively included consecutive patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome "pSS" fulfilling American-European Consensus Criteria (AECG) between 2006 and 2009. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Bichat Hospital in 2006. All patients gave their informed written consent. This study was followed for 5 years with the grant of the French Ministry of Health and this study will be extended for 20 years by French Society of Rheumatology (SFR). On an annual basis for a duration of 20 years, a thorough standardized paper case report form (CRF) was filled prospectively by clinicians.