title: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus: first multicenter database analysis of 1002 patients from the European Society of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (EUSCLE).
abstract: In this prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study, we assessed clinical and laboratory characteristics from patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) using the Core Set Questionnaire of the European Society of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (EUSCLE). 1002 (768 females, 234 males) patients with different subtypes of CLE, such as acute CLE (ACLE, 304 patients), subacute CLE (SCLE, 236 patients), chronic CLE (CCLE, 397 patients), and intermittent CLE (ICLE, 65 patients), from 13 European countries were collected and statistically analyzed by an SPSS database. The main outcome measures included gender, age at onset of disease, LE-specific and LE-nonspecific skin lesions, photosensitivity, laboratory features, and the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. The mean age at onset of disease was 43.0±15.7 years and differed significantly between the CLE subtypes. In 347 (34.6%) of the 1002 patients, two or more CLE subtypes were diagnosed during the course of the disease and 453 (45.2%) presented with LE-nonspecific manifestations. Drug-induced CLE and Sjögren's Syndrome had the highest prevalence in SCLE patients (13.1% and 14.0%, respectively). Photosensitivity was significantly more frequent in patients with ACLE, SCLE, and ICLE compared with those with CCLE. The detection of antinuclear antibodies such as anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies revealed further significant differences between the CLE subtypes. In summary, the EUSCLE Core Set Questionnaire and its database facilitate the analysis of clinical and laboratory features in a high number of patients with CLE and will contribute to standardized assessment and monitoring of the disease in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Muenster, 48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Cyrus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biazar
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigges
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patsinakidis
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruland
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amler
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonsmann
authors.forename: Annegret
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuhn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D062306:Geography, Medical; D006801:Humans; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires