SLICC

SLICC stands for Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics, an international network of rheumatology centers formed to advance research on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The collaboration develops and validates classification criteria, supports epidemiological studies, and promotes standardized data collection across diverse populations.

In 2012, SLICC published revised classification criteria for SLE intended for research use. The criteria comprise 17 items: 11 clinical manifestations (including mucocutaneous, musculoskeletal, renal, serosal, and neuropsychiatric features) and 6 immunologic laboratory abnormalities (such as anti-dsDNA, anti-Smith antibodies, antiphospholipid antibodies, and markers of complement activation). Classification requires at least four criteria, with at least one clinical and one immunologic criterion, or biopsy-proven lupus nephritis with positive ANA or anti-dsDNA. The SLICC criteria are designed to improve sensitivity while maintaining acceptable specificity relative to prior criteria. They are widely used in lupus research and increasingly in clinical studies, though some centers continue to use alternative frameworks.

Beyond the criteria, SLICC developed the SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI), a tool to quantify accumulated irreversible organ damage since disease onset, used to study prognosis and treatment effects. The SLICC collaboration has produced numerous multicenter studies on disease manifestations, genetics, outcomes, and treatment patterns, and it continues to foster international collaboration and data sharing in lupus research.