title: Comparison between three systems of classification criteria in juvenile systemic lupus erythematous.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The most widely used classification criteria for SLE are those derived and validated in adult patients by the ACR. Alternatives include the Boston weighted (BW) and SLICC criteria. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of BW and SLICC criteria with the 1997 ACR criteria in a JSLE cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases were JSLE patients and controls were patients with other rheumatic diseases attending a tertiary centre in the past 10 years. Data were retrospectively collected to establish the ACR, BW and SLICC criteria fulfilled at the first visit and within the first year of follow-up. A consensus diagnosis of JSLE established by the same group of highly experienced paediatric rheumatologists was chosen as the standard of reference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and seventy-three patients were included: 81 JSLE and 92 controls. There was a sharp increase in sensitivity and prevalence of all criteria within the first year of follow-up. The BW criteria had higher sensitivity than the ACR criteria (81.5% vs 58%, P < 0.001) at the first visit, but lower specificity in both periods. SLICC criteria had higher sensitivity (82.7% vs 58%, P < 0.001) at the first visit, but similar specificity in both periods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this JSLE population, the SLICC criteria performed best in terms of sensitivity and accuracy at the first visit and within the first year of follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria Martagão Gesteira/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and Department of Pediatrics, Instituto Fernandes Figueira/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. adrirfonseca@gmail.com drcarlosoliver@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Adriana R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria Martagão Gesteira/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and Department of Pediatrics, Instituto Fernandes Figueira/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Ignez C
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gaspar-Elsas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria Martagão Gesteira/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and Department of Pediatrics, Instituto Fernandes Figueira/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo G P
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Land
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria Martagão Gesteira/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and Department of Pediatrics, Instituto Fernandes Figueira/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sheila K F
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: adolescence; childhood; classification criteria; systemic lupus erythematous