title: Evaluation of the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) classification criteria in a Chinese population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate for thefirst time in a Chinese population, the usefulness of the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 193 clinically diagnosed SpA patients were compared to 166 patients with other types of arthritis, using the parameters listed in the ESSG criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity of the ESSG criteria in this Chinese population were high at 85.4% and 96.4% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of ESSG criteria for classifying SpA in Chinese will not lead to significant omission of SpA patients or inclusion of patients who do not have SpA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Third Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005060:Europe; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D025242:Spondylarthropathies / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology