The mononuclear inflammatory infiltrates, interstitial fibrosis, and acinar atrophy of a minor salivary gland in a biopsy of lip is typical for long-standing Sjögren syndrome, an autoimmune disease that involves salivary glands (with xerostomia) and lacrimal glands (with xerophthalmia). Most patients are middle-aged women. The autoantibodies SS-A (Ro) and SS-B (La) have more specificity for Sjögren syndrome than others, though the antinuclear antibody test is positive in over half of cases.

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