title: The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from different centers with respect to demographics and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SLICC/ACR DI) scores, and to assess whether the SLICC/ACR DI changed over time, and whether initial DI scores were related to outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of SLICC completed DI scores and patient demographics on patients followed in their centers. Information was provided at 2, 5-10, and > 10 years of followup. Data were entered on computer and analyzed on SPSS/PC+ and SAS using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Information for 1297 patients within 2 years of first clinic visit was submitted from 8 centers. There were 1187 women and 110 men with a mean age at diagnosis of SLE of 32 years. Seven hundred sixty-two were Caucasian, 423 were black, and the remainder were of other races. There were more blacks in the American centers than in Canadian or European centers. Five centers provided information for the 3 time periods. The DI increased over time. Ninety-nine patients had died. Higher SLICC/ACR DI scores were documented in patients who went on to die.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SLICC/ACR DI is a valid measure for damage in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, University Health Network, Toronto Western Hospital, Canada.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Gladman
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Urowitz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bacon
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fortin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ginzler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hanly
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Isenberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petri
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nived
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Snaith
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sturfelt
mesh_terms: D000574:American Medical Association; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States