To re-analyse the clinical outcomes and interferon (IFN) activity data from the JOQUER trial, a phase III trial investigating hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), after stratifying patients into putative pathobiological subgroups utilizing the Newcastle Sjögren’s Stratification Tool (NSST) based on patient-reported symptoms of dryness, pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression. Here, IFNA1 is linked to major depressive disorder.