Autoinflammatory & rare systemic diseases
Evaluating clinical heterogeneity in relapsing polychondritis through unsupervised cluster analysis
Authors' conclusion
This study confirms that relapsing polychondritis is not a single-dimensional disease, but a clinical syndrome with significant heterogeneity.
Study context
- Population
- Relapsing polychondritis (RP) patients hospitalized in two centers, January 2005 to December 2024
- Participants
- 135 patients
- Exposure
- Cluster 1 vs Cluster 2 vs Cluster 3
- Cluster 1n = 45
- Cluster 2n = 11
- Cluster 3n = 79
- Outcome
- RP phenotypes identified by cluster analysis (K = 3)
Methodological detailstwo-centre, unsupervised cluster analysis (K-means), Elbow Method and Silhouette Analysis
- Two-centre
- Unsupervised cluster analysis (K-means)
- Elbow Method and Silhouette Analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Factors distinguishing subtypes (random forest analysis)
- Systemic inflammation markers (CRP, CAR, ESR) and sensory organ involvement (hearing impairment and inner ear dysfunction) the most critical driving factors
Original publication
Evaluating clinical heterogeneity in relapsing polychondritis through unsupervised cluster analysis. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 11 July 2026. doi:10.
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