title: The role of second trimester uterine artery Doppler in pregnancies with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this article is to assess the predictive value of second trimester mean uterine artery Doppler pulsatility index (mUtA PI) for pregnancy complications in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study of consecutive pregnancies complicated with SLE during a period of 12 years is used. SLE diagnosis was made before pregnancy. mUtA PI was measured between 23 + 0 and 26 + 6 weeks' gestation. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were collected. Small for gestational age (SGA) was defined as birth weight <10th percentile. Adverse pregnancy outcome (APO) was defined as one of the following: pre-eclampsia (PE), SGA, placental abruption, stillbirth, or neonatal death. Differential diagnosis between PE and renal flare was made according to SLE-disease activity index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are 70 pregnancies in 64 women. PE was observed in four cases (6%), SGA in five cases (7%), and APO in seven cases (10%). mUtA PI showed a sensitivity and a specificity of 1.0 (95% CI 0.5-1.0) and 1.0 (95% CI 0.95-1.0) for PE, 0.40 (95% CI 0.12-0.77) and 0.97 (95% CI 0.89-0.99) for SGA, and 0.57 (95% CI 0.25-0.84) and 1.0 (95% CI 0.94-1.0) for APO, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that uterine artery Doppler is confirmed to be a high sensitivity and a high specificity test for predicting PE even in SLE patients.
authors.affiliation: Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Spedali Civili and University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reggia
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andreoli
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prefumo
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zatti
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lojacono
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tincani
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frusca
mesh_terms: D000037:Abruptio Placentae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D066087:Perinatal Death; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D050497:Stillbirth; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*