Pregnancy outcome and anti-Ro/SSA in autoimmune diseases: a retrospective cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
In the present retrospective cohort study, the association of anti-Ro/SSA antibody with pregnancy loss and adverse pregnancy outcome in women with autoimmune diseases was investigated.


METHODS
Obstetric histories of 154 anti-Ro/SSA-positive women with autoimmune diseases [78 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 76 non-SLE] were analysed and compared to a control group of 142 anti-Ro/SSA-negative women (71 SLE and 71 non-SLE) matched for disease diagnosis and age at the time of anti-Ro/SSA diagnosis. Obstetric history was also obtained and analysed from a group of healthy women, frequency matched to anti-Ro/SSA-positive women on age at study entry.


RESULTS
The rate of pregnancy loss and adverse pregnancy outcome did not differ significantly between anti-Ro/SSA-positive women, anti-Ro/SSA-negative women and healthy controls. Anti-Ro/SSA-positive SLE women reported a significantly higher rate (18.0%) of therapeutic abortions compared to anti-Ro/SSA-negative women (5.6%, P=0.0244) and healthy controls (4.6%, P=0.0013). Anti-Ro/SSA non-SLE-positive women reported a significantly higher rate (23.7%) of recurrent pregnancy loss in comparison to anti-Ro/SSA-negative women (7.04%, P=0.0063) and healthy controls (6.4%, P=0.0004).


CONCLUSIONS
Although anti-Ro/SSA antibody does not adversely affect pregnancy outcome in SLE patients, it appears to be associated with recurrent pregnancy loss in non-SLE patients.
Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National University of Athens, Greece.
C P
CP
Mavragani
U G
UG
Dafni
A G
AG
Tzioufas
H M
HM
Moutsopoulos
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D000032:Abortion, Therapeutic; D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D000099207:SS-A Antigen
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001324:Autoantigens; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000099207:SS-A Antigen; C116006:RO60 protein, human; C035356:SS-A antibodies