SLICC SLE Criteria (2012)

Classification of systemic lupus erythematosus — cumulative criteria
Clinical criteria
Acute cutaneous lupus (e.g. malar rash, photosensitive rash)
Chronic cutaneous lupus (e.g. discoid lupus)
Oral or nasal ulcers
Non-scarring alopecia
Synovitis involving ≥ 2 joints
Serositis (pleurisy or pericarditis)
Renal (urine protein:creatinine or 24 h protein > 500 mg, or red-cell casts)
Neurological (seizures, psychosis, mononeuritis multiplex, myelitis, peripheral/cranial neuropathy, acute confusional state)
Haemolytic anaemia
Leukopenia < 4000/mm³ or lymphopenia < 1000/mm³
Thrombocytopenia < 100 000/mm³
Immunological criteria
ANA above the reference range
Anti-dsDNA above the reference range
Anti-Sm antibody present
Antiphospholipid antibody (lupus anticoagulant, false-positive RPR, anticardiolipin, or anti-β2-glycoprotein I)
Low complement (C3, C4 or CH50)
Direct Coombs test positive (without haemolytic anaemia)
Alternative pathway
Biopsy-proven lupus nephritis
Evidence
Original publication
Petri M, Orbai AM, Alarcón GS, et al. Derivation and validation of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus. Requires ≥ 4 of 17 criteria (≥ 1 clinical and ≥ 1 immunological) or biopsy-proven lupus nephritis with a positive ANA or anti-dsDNA; more sensitive (97%) but slightly less specific (84%) than the 1997 ACR criteria.
Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2012
Open source
Guideline
The 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria (Aringer M et al., Arthritis Rheumatol 2019; PMID 31385462) use a positive ANA (≥ 1:80) as an obligatory entry criterion and a weighted additive score (threshold ≥ 10) and are now widely used alongside SLICC. All are classification criteria for research and do not replace a clinician's diagnosis; criteria are counted only if there is no more likely alternative explanation.
Last reviewed: 2026-09
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