Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Subtypes in a Multi-Ethnic Cohort

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that affects multiple organ systems and varies in severity across different populations. To examine the clinical heterogeneity of SLE, we sought to identify different lupus subtypes within our multi-ethnic cohort using a clustering approach. Additionally, with genome-wide methylation and genotype data generated for our cohort, we applied integrative methods to investigate genetic and epigenetic risk factors. This integrative and computational approach revealed molecular differences associated with phenotypic clusters. ]]>
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients were included if they met at least 4 of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for SLE as determined by a rheumatologist, met at least 3 of 11 criteria plus documentation of SLE diagnosis by a rheumatologist or a confirmed diagnosis of lupus nephritis as defined by the ACR renal criteria.]]>
Subjects were participants in the California Lupus Epidemiology Study (CLUES), a prospective longitudinal cohort of SLE patients confirmed to have SLE by a rheumatologist. Patients in CLUES were recruited from the California Lupus Surveillance Project as well as from rheumatology clinics and through local research cohorts in the San Francisco Bay Area. ]]>