A total of 76 subjects were recruited for this study: 25 SS (confirmed via American-European Consensus Criteria
2002), 25 non-SS DE (confirmed by symptoms and Schirmer scores e 10 mm), and 26 NDE. Superior and temporal bulbar
conjunctival epithelial cells were collected via impression cytology. Epithelial RNA was extracted, and TNF-> mRNA expression
was quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.