title: Pregnancy, lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome (Hughes syndrome).
abstract: Autoimmune diseases (AD) occur frequently in women during their childbearing years and may influence pregnancy outcome and neonatal health. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can experience a disease flare-up during pregnancy with potential negative effects on the product of conceptus, especially if the disease is active. Recurrent pregnancy loss is now considered as a treatable clinical condition associated with the presence of circulating antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). The neonatal lupus syndromes (NLS), caused by the transplacental passage of maternal IgG anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibodies to the fetus, carry significant morbidity and mortality in case of cardiac manifestations. Immunosuppressive agents are often administered during pregnancy in order to control maternal disease and to ensure a better pregnancy outcome. Nowadays, owing to our increasing knowledge of the disease pathophysiological mechanisms and the development of combined medical-obstetric clinics, pregnancy outcome in patients with AD has notably improved.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Brescia Hospital and University, Italy. tincani@bresciaseumatologia.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tincani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bompane
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Danieli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doria
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000151:congenital*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C035356:SS-A antibodies