OBJECTIVES: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by periods of remissions and flares, with significant clinical and economic burden. The primary study objective was to estimate the 1-year direct medical cost for adult patients with active, autoantibody-positive SLE in Greece. METHODS: This is a national, multi-centre, retrospective study. Data were abstracted from patient records in 6 hospital centers specialized in SLE management. Starting with the patient with the most recent visit, patients with consecutive visits (backwards in time) were considered for inclusion, provided they met specific criteria. In order to estimate costs per disease severity, a stratification criterion was applied. Patient data were collected for a 1-year period starting from the inclusion date (January -September 2011) and moving forward. Data included patient characteristics and healthcare resource utilization. In addition, all SLE patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria and followed-up in the participating centers during a 3-month retrospective period were recorded. For cost calculation, official 2013 list prices were used. RESULTS: