Accumulation of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. In 454 (59.1%) patients, the total number of criteria increased in 5 years.
| ACR Criteria | At Inception, n (%) | At 1 yr, n (%) | At 2 yrs, n (%) | At 3 yrs, n (%) | At 4 yrs, n (%) | At 5 yrs, n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malar rash | 276 (35.9) | 310 (40.4) | 333 (43.4) | 349 (45.4) | 361 (47.0) | 372 (48.4) |
| Discoid rash | 83 (10.8) | 94 (12.2) | 105 (13.7) | 123 (16.0) | 130 (16.9) | 137 (17.8) |
| Oral ulcers | 294 (38.3) | 328 (42.7) | 367 (47.8) | 384 (50.0) | 397 (51.7) | 412 (53.7) |
| Serositis | 217 (28.3) | 231 (30.1) | 243 (31.6) | 250 (32.6) | 254 (33.1) | 261 (34.0) |
| Arthritis | 583 (75.9) | 608 (79.2) | 621 (80.9) | 628 (81.7) | 643 (83.7) | 649 (84.5) |
| Photosensitivity | 276 (35.9) | 308 (40.1) | 324 (42.2) | 334 (43.5) | 340 (44.3) | 346 (45.1) |
| Renal disorder | 236 (30.7) | 266 (34.6) | 294 (38.3) | 311 (40.5) | 322 (41.9) | 334 (43.5) |
| Neurologic disorder | 47 (6.1) | 58 (7.6) | 66 (8.6) | 71 (9.2) | 77 (10.0) | 78 (10.2) |
| Hematologic disorder | 513 (66.8) | 566 (73.7) | 599 (78.0) | 610 (79.4) | 621 (80.9) | 630 (82.0) |
| Immunologic disorder | 610 (79.4) | 637 (82.9) | 646 (84.1) | 653 (85.0) | 657 (85.6) | 662 (86.2) |
| Antinuclear antibody | 734 (95.6) | 741 (96.5) | 743 (96.7) | 746 (97.1) | 748 (97.4) | 750 (97.7) |
| Total no. criteria, mean ± SD | 5.04 ± 1.13 | 5.40 ± 1.26 | 5.65 ± 1.34 | 5.81 ± 1.37 | 5.92 ± 1.39 | 6.03 ± 1.42 |