American College of Rheumatology

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a professional organization representing doctors who diagnose and treat diseases like arthritis, scleroderma and lupus. Its mission is to inform the medical community and the public about the importance of rheumatology and the impact of rheumatic diseases. The ACR’s annual scientific meeting is important to lupus patients because rheumatologists are the front-line care providers for people with lupus.

Program objectives:
  1. Provide education, research, advocacy and practice support services in a changing health care environment.
  2. Foster both the medical and business sides of rheumatology through expanded advocacy efforts and practice support services for clinical rheumatologists.

The ACR is a collaborating partner on the Health and Human Service’s Office of Women’s Health national lupus awareness campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise public awareness to improve early diagnosis and treatment among people who are at increased risk for the disease. The campaign is targeted toward young minority women and will provide them with information to help them take action if they have symptoms.

The ACR is participating in the Lupus Federal Working Group, established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to advance the knowledge of lupus and facilitate collaboration among federal agencies and private organizations with an interest in lupus.

The ACR has established 11 criteria for diagnosing lupus. These criteria, along with clinical examination and laboratory tests are used to diagnose lupus:

  1. Malar rash: butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose
  2. Discoid (skin) rash: raised red patches
  3. Photosensitivity: skin rash as result of unusual reaction to sunlight
  4. Mouth or nose ulcers: usually painless
  5. Arthritis (nonerosive) in two or more joints, along with tenderness, swelling, or effusion. With nonerosive arthritis, the bones around joints don’t get destroyed.
  6. Cardio-pulmonary involvement: inflammation of the lining around the heart (pericarditis) and/or lungs (pleuritis)
  7. Neurologic disorder: seizures and/or psychosis
  8. Renal (kidney) disorder: excessive protein in the urine, or cellular casts in the urine
  9. Hematologic (blood) disorder: hemolytic anemia, low white blood cell count, or low platelet count
  10. Immunologic disorder: antibodies to double stranded DNA, antibodies to Sm, or antibodies to cardiolipin
  11. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA): a positive test in the absence of drugs known to induce it.

Contact:
American College of Rheumatology 2200 Lake Boulevard NE Atlanta, GA 30319 Phone: 404-633-3777 Fax: 404-633-1870 Email: acr@rheumatology.org; arhp@rheumatology.org; ref@rheumatology.org Website: www.rheumatology.org

Additional materials and information:

Monthly journal: Read the official publication of the American College of Rheumatology, Arthritis & Rheumatism. It contains peer-reviewed articles on diagnosis, treatment, laboratory research and socioeconomic issues related to all forms of rheumatic disease.