title: [Congenital heart block and autoantibodies].
abstract: Maternal IgG autoantibodies against Ro52 (part of the anti-SSA specificity) are correlated with congenital heart block (CHB). Most cases revert spontaneously and can be monitored by Doppler echocardiography, but fetuses that progress into second-degree block require treatment with, e.g., corticosteroids. A third-degree block is irreversible and necessitates lifelong pacemaking. It may prove beneficial to screen all expectant mothers for anti-Ro52 autoantibodies. Decisions about this will require further studies of the diagnostic performance of the Ro52 autoantibody test.
authors.affiliation: Statens Serum Institut, Autoimmunafdelingen. nhe@ssi.dk
authors.forename: Niels H H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Heegaard
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Locht
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiik
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000151:congenital* / Q000196:embryology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D000099207:SS-A Antigen
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000099207:SS-A Antigen