title: Investigations into Ro-specific antibody-associated congenital cardiac conduction defects.
abstract: Forty-two babies with different congenital cardiac conduction defects, and in 12 cases the mothers, were tested for autoantibodies to Ro, La, U1RNP and Sm. Ro-specific antibodies were detected most frequently. They were to be found in 16 sera from infants and in 8 maternal serum samples. The occurrence of anti-Ro was associated preferentially with several atrioventricular conduction blocks. The sex relation of anti-Ro associated congenital heart block did not show a typical preference (6 male/10 female). At the time of giving birth, 5 anti-Ro-positive mothers did not have any clinical symptoms of rheumatic autoimmune diseases. Three of them had a first degree atrioventricular block. Our findings indicate that all pregnant women at risk for anti-Ro like connective tissue disease or cardiac conduction defects should be tested for these autoantibodies because of the suspicion of cardiac conduction abnormalities in the offspring. Anti-Ro-positive infants should be examined for structural heart disease by echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dörner
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hiepe
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Göldner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Apostoloff
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000276:immunology; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; C035356:SS-A antibodies