The SLICC inception cohort for atherosclerosis.

The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) is a group of rheumatologists and methodologists from 27 international centers who have a particular interest and expertise in systemic lupus erythematosus. Initially, its efforts focused on development and validation of disease activity and damage indices. In 2000, the SLICC Registry for Atherosclerosis was established to determine the incidence, prevalence, nature, and risk factors of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease in systemic lupus erythematosus. Risk factors for coronary artery disease at presentation to the cohort were reported, as well as their accumulation over the first few years. Development of the metabolic syndrome was also described. Among the first 1078 patients who entered the cohort, 61 vascular events have occurred in 47 patients who were older at diagnosis and more likely male and hypertensive than were the patients without vascular events. Additional studies using this cohort are ongoing.