A SIMPLE SEVERITY OF DISEASE INDEX FOR SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Although indices of activity for systemic lupus erythematosus have bee n developed and validated, a disease staging system requires the measu rement of severity as well. We have constructed such a scale, the Lupu s Severity of Disease Index (Lupus SDI). Accepted clinical, pathologic and physiologic classification schemes were employed to validate this index at two separate research institutions. The Lupus SDI allows hom ogenization of patient populations for the purposes of research and, p ossibly, for case mix adjustment.