Original scientific paper
Prevalence of the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria in a group of 162 systemic lupus erythematosus patients from Croatia
Mislav Cerovec
; Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Branimir Anić
; Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivan Padjen
; Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Nada Čikeš
; Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Aim To identify systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients
diagnosed and treated at the outpatient clinic of our
Division fulfilling at least four American College of Rheumatology
(ACR) classification criteria at the time of the
study, to determine the prevalence of each of the criteria at
three different time points, and to compare the data with
similar studies.
Methods We performed retrospective and descriptive
analysis of medical records of 162 patients fulfilling at least
4 ACR criteria. Classification criteria were counted and the
frequency of each criterion was identified at three different
time points: disease onset, time of diagnosis, and the time
when the study was conducted.
Results At diagnosis and at the time when the study was
conducted there were 3.8 and 5.4 fulfilled classification criteria,
respectively. The most common criterion at the time
of the disease onset was arthritis (52.6%); at the time of
diagnosis it was positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) titer
(88.0%); and at the time when the study was conducted
it was positive ANA titer (95.7%), immunologic disorder
(89.5%), arthritis (71.0%), hematologic disorder (70.4%),
malar rash (61.7%), and photosensitivity (51.9%).
Conclusion The prevalence of ACR criteria in our patients
is similar to that in other studies, especially those involving
Caucasian patients. Our results confirm the value of the
ACR criteria in patients with an already established diagnosis.
This is the first study on the prevalence of disease manifestations
among Croatian patients with SLE.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
83872
URI
Publication date:
15.4.2012.
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