Outcome of infants from mothers with anti-SSA/Ro antibodies.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the incidence of electrocardiographic and laboratory abnormalities in neonates born from mothers with connective tissue disease and positive for anti-SSA/Ro antibodies.


METHODS
Electrocardiogram, blood cell counts, liver and renal function tests prospectively obtained from 51 infants born from anti-SSA/Ro-positive mothers with connective tissue disease were compared with those obtained from 50 control infants born from mothers with anti-extractable nuclear antigen (ENA)-negative connective tissue disease. One infant with congenital complete heart block was excluded from analysis.


RESULTS
No infant showed sinus bradycardia. A first-degree atrioventricular block at birth was observed in five study group and no control group infants, P=0.023. Atrioventricular blocks spontaneously reverted or remained stable during the first year of life. Mean corrected QT value of infants born from anti-SSA/Ro-positive mothers was slightly prolonged as compared with the control group (0.404+/-0.03 s vs 0.395+/-0.02 s; P=0.060).


CONCLUSIONS
Infants exposed to anti-SSA/Ro antibodies had a significantly higher prevalence of first-degree atrioventricular block. At variance with previous studies, we observed a low frequency of hematologic abnormalities and no cases of hepatobiliary disease.
Motta
M
M
Department of Neonatology and NICU, Spedali Civili-Brescia, Italy. lvmott@tin.it
Rodriguez-Perez
C
C
Tincani
A
A
Lojacono
A
A
Chirico
G
G
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006327:Heart Block / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; C035356:SS-A antibodies