A recent study found that a statistical analysis procedure known as principal component analysis (PCA) can be used to identify subgroups of skin diseases and distinctive skin disease patterns in people with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Researchers recruited more than 300 people with CLE from outpatient dermatology clinics and conducted a PCA of CLE damage scores and disease activity and severity, which allowed them to identify five distinct sub-categories of CLE.

In addition to providing more information about CLE’s different presentations, the results also suggest that PCA can be used as a method to propose classification criteria for clinical trials, an exciting step toward advancing CLE research. Two in three people with lupus will develop some form of skin disease. Learn about how lupus affects the skin.

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