Pregnancy outcome in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a monocentric cohort analysis

Objective. SLE is an autoimmune disease, mainly affecting women of childbearing age, with possible impact on pregnancy. In this study, we evaluated pregnancy outcomes in all pregnant patients affected by SLE, followed in the context of a rheumatology/gynaecology multi-disciplinary team. Methods. Since 2008, we evaluated 70 consecutive pregnancies occurring in 50 SLE patients referring to the Lupus Clinic of Sapienza University of Rome; as controls we evaluated 100 consecutive pregnancies in 100 women without autoimmune diseases. Results. By comparing SLE patients and controls, we did not find differences in terms of pregnancy outcomes, except for the occurrence of small for gestational age, which was significantly higher in the SLE group (22.8% vs 11%, P = 0.003). Small for gestational age was associated with the positivity for anti-dsDNA, anti-Sm and anti-RNP (P = 0.009, P = 0.02, P = 0.002, respectively). A disease flare was reported in 28 pregnancies (40%) and in 31 puerperium periods (44.3%). Flare during pregnancy was associated with anti-SSA (P = 0.02), while puerperium relapse with previous MMF treatment (P = 0.01) and haematological flare during pregnancy (P = 0.03). Conclusion. The present study confirms how pre-gestational counselling and a multi-disciplinary approach could result in positive pregnancy outcomes for SLE patients. The high percentage of disease relapse justifies even more the need for multi-disciplinary management.

Automated summary

The study found that pregnancy outcomes of SLE patients were not significantly different from the control group of women without autoimmune diseases, except for a higher occurrence of small for gestational age. Disease flares during pregnancy and postpartum were associated with different factors, highlighting the importance of tailored prevention and management strategies. The study emphasized the positive impact of pre-gestational counseling and a multi-disciplinary approach on pregnancy outcomes for SLE patients.