title: Maternal autoantibody profiles at risk for autoimmune congenital heart block: a prospective study in high-risk patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This prospective study aimed to identify antibody profiles characterising mothers with fetuses developing congenital heart block (CHB) by comparing their antibody frequencies and levels with those in unaffected mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one consecutive pregnant patients positive to anti-Ro±anti-La antibodies, at high risk of developing fetal CHB were prospectively studied. The 16 patients with fetal CHB outcome were considered the study population and the 65 patients with normal pregnancy outcomes were considered the control cohort. Anti-Ro52, anti-Ro60, anti-p200 and anti-La antibodies were assayed using home-made ELISA assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of anti-p200 antibodies was significantly higher in the fetal CHB affected patients than in the controls (p=0.03). Combinations of anti-p200 with anti-Ro52 and anti-Ro60 antibodies were significantly more frequent in the women with fetuses developing CHB than in the controls (p=0.03 for all combinations). The women with fetal CHB had significantly higher mean anti-Ro52, anti-Ro60 and anti-p200 levels than the controls (p=0.003, p=0.0001 and p=0.04, respectively); mean anti-La/SSB level was not significantly different in the two cohorts (p=0.25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since anti-p200, anti-Ro52 and anti-Ro60 antibodies, especially at high level, seem to identify patients at increased risk of developing fetal CHB, their detection could recognise anti-Ro/La positive women at risk for having an infant with this rare, potentially dangerous disorder.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tonello
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruffatti
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Favaro
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Unit , University Hospital of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tison
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Del Ross
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calligaro
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Ariela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoxha
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mattia
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Punzi
keywords: Autoantibodies; Autoimmune Diseases; Autoimmunity