Preeclampsia Risk Prediction Model for Chinese Pregnant Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Birth Outcomes and Rehospitalizations Among Pregnant Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Their Offspring

OBJECTIVE

To compare obstetric/birth outcomes and rehospitalization among women with and without rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their infants.

METHODS

This population-based retrospective cohort study identified women with RA (n = 1,223) and SLE (n = 1,354) and unexposed women with singleton births 1987-2014 in Washington State in linked vital hospital discharge records. Outcomes, including cause-specific hospitalizations <2 years postpartum, were compared by estimating adjusted relative risks (RRs) and cause-specific rehospitalization hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

RESULTS

We observed increased risks of several adverse outcomes; RRs were often greatest for SLE. Women with RA/SLE more often required rehospitalization, most notably at <6 months postpartum (RA: 4% versus 2%; RR 2.22 [95% CI 1.62-3.04]; SLE: 6% versus 2%; RR 2.78 [95% CI 2.15-3.59]). Maternal postpartum rehospitalization was greatest for musculoskeletal conditions (RA: HR 19.1 [95% CI 13.6-26.8]; SLE: HR 29.8 [95% CI 22.1-40.1]). Infants of women with SLE more often had malformations (9% versus 6%; RR 1.46 [95% CI 1.21-1.75]), and increased mortality at <2 years (RR 2.11 [95% CI 1.21-3.67]). Infants of women with SLE also experienced more frequent rehospitalizations in their first year of life.

CONCLUSION

Women with RA or SLE and their infants experienced adverse outcomes, particularly infants of women with SLE. Maternal/infant rehospitalization was more common; most marked in the early months postpartum. Close follow-up during these time periods is crucial to minimize adverse outcomes.

Benefits of Hydroxychloroquine Combined with Low-Dose Aspirin on Pregnancy Outcomes and Serum Cytokines in Pregnant Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, with hydroxychloroquine being the main therapeutic agent for the treatment of SLE. This research explored the effects of hydroxychloroquine combined with low-dose aspirin on maternal and infant outcomes and cytokines of pregnant women with SLE.

METHODS

Ninety pregnant women with SLE were divided into the hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) group (45 cases) and the hydroxychloroquine combined with low-dose aspirin (HCQASP) group (45 cases) by random number table. Patients in the HCQ group were treated with oral administration of hydroxychloroquine, while patients in the HCQASP group were treated with low-dose aspirin based on oral administration of hydroxychloroquine. Pregnancy outcomes, fetal outcomes, and cytokine levels were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

The HCQASP group had a significantly higher proportion of full-term pregnancies and a significantly lower proportion of hypertension, prematurity, and pregnancy loss than the HCQ group. Neonates in the HCQASP group also had significantly higher birth weights and Apgar scores and a significantly lower proportion of neonatal asphyxia than the HCQ group. After treatment, the HCQASP group had significantly higher interleukin (IL-2) and interferon (IFN)-γ levels and significantly lower IL-4 and IL-10 levels than the HCQ group.

CONCLUSION

Hydroxychloroquine combined with low-dose aspirin can effectively improve the pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women with SLE by affecting the levels of T helper (Th) 2 and Th1 cytokines.

Pregnancy-related complications in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease that predominantly affects women of childbearing age and results in various adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). Pregnancy was formerly discouraged in patients with SLE because of unstable disease activity during the gestation period, increased thrombosis risk, severe organ damage, and inevitable side effects of immunosuppressive agents. Currently, most patients with SLE have successful pregnancies due to preconception counselling, strict monitoring, and improved therapy with minimised complications for both the mother and foetus. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is extensively used and is beneficial for improving pregnancy outcomes. However, pregnant women with SLE have a high-risk of APOs, such as disease flare, preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preeclampsia, and pregnancy loss. Better understanding of the changes in maternal immunity and serum biomarkers, as well as their relationships with SLE-related APOs progression, would facilitate the investigation of molecular mechanisms for triggering and ameliorating APOs. Furthermore, it would enable us to explore and develop novel and effective therapeutic strategies to prevent disease activation. Therefore, this review briefly introduces the interaction between pregnancy outcomes and SLE, elucidates pathophysiological and immunological changes during SLE pregnancy. Furthermore, this review systematically expounds on the effective predictors of APOs and the molecular mechanisms underlying the SLE-related APOs to provide a solid foundation for the advanced management of lupus pregnancy.

Development and Validation of Multi-Stage Prediction Models for Pre-eclampsia: A Retrospective Cohort Study on Chinese Women

Objective

The aim of this study is to develop multistage prediction models for pre-eclampsia (PE) covering almost the entire pregnancy period based on routine antenatal measurements and to propose a risk screening strategy.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study that included 20582 singleton pregnant women with the last menstruation between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2019. Of the 20582 women, 717 (3.48%) developed pre-eclampsia, including 46 (0.22%) with early-onset pre-eclampsia and 119 (0.58%) preterm pre-eclampsia. We randomly divided the dataset into the training set (N = 15665), the testing set (N = 3917), and the validation set (N = 1000). Least Absolute Shrinkage And Selection Operator (LASSO) was used to do variable selection from demographic characteristics, blood pressure, blood routine examination and biochemical tests. Logistic regression was used to develop prediction models at eight periods: 5-10 weeks, 11-13 weeks, 14-18 weeks, 19-23 weeks, 24-27 weeks, 28-31 weeks, 32-35 weeks, and 36-39 weeks of gestation. We calculated the AUROC (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve) on the test set and validated the screening strategy on the validation set.

Results

We found that uric acid tested from 5-10 weeks of gestation, platelets tested at 18-23 and 24-31 weeks of gestation, and alkaline phosphatase tested at 28-31, 32-35 and 36-39 weeks of gestation can further improve the prediction performance of models. The AUROC of the optimal prediction models on the test set gradually increased from 0.71 at 5-10 weeks to 0.80 at 24-27 weeks, and then gradually increased to 0.95 at 36-39 weeks of gestation. At sensitivity level of 0.98, our screening strategy can identify about 94.8% of women who will develop pre-eclampsia and reduce about 40% of the healthy women to be screened by 28-31 weeks of pregnancy.

Conclusion

We developed multistage prediction models and a risk screening strategy, biomarkers of which were part of routine test items and did not need extra costs. The prediction window has been advanced to 5-10 weeks, which has allowed time for aspirin intervention and other means for PE high-risk groups.

Expression and clinical significance of miR-204 in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy

Objective

Hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) is a unique and common obstetrical complication in pregnancy. The current study sought to investigate the diagnostic value of serum miR-204 in HDCP patients.

Methods

A total of 196 HDCP patients were enrolled, with 54 healthy pregnant women as controls. The expression levels of miR-204 and inflammatory factors in the serum were determined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic value of miR-204 in HDCP patients. Person coefficient was introduced to analyze the correlation between miR-204 and inflammatory indexes. Kaplan–Meier method was employed to analyze the effect of miR-204 expression on the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Logistic regression was adopted to assess the risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Results

miR-204 expression was upregulated in the serum of HDCP patients. The serum miR-204 level > 1.432 could assist the diagnosis of HDCP. miR-204 level in the serum was positively correlated with TNF-α, IL-6, and hs-CRP concentrations in HDCP patients. The risk of adverse outcomes was higher in pregnant women with high miR-204 expression. High miR-204 expression was associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes after adjusting the family history of HDCP, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, AST, ALT, LDH, 24-h urinary protein, TNF-α, IL-6, and hs-CRP.

Conclusion

The high expression of miR-204 assists the diagnosis of HDCP and is an independent risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes in HDCP patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-022-04501-9.

Biochemical and clinical predictors in pregnant women with antiphospholipid syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus: comprehensive update

BACKGROUND

Autoimmune diseases as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) could cause many maternal complications. The most common maternal complications of autoimmune diseases are lupus flare, hypertension, nephritis, preeclampsia (PE), eclampsia, and poor pregnancy outcomes which including preterm delivery and pregnancy loss. Only the lupus anticoagulant in the greatest prospective multicenter study has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes of the APS.

PURPOSE

This review aims to provide a comprehensive update for predictors in pregnant women with APS/SLE.

METHODS

These data have been collected from clinical and pathological studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis.

RESULTS

In recent years the SLE and APS demonstrated to have different and valuable clinical and biomarker predictors for the pregnancy outcome. Treatment of pregnant women with APS is low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and aspirin; however, around 75% of this management is considered successful.

CONCLUSION

This review summarizes recent research that focuses on biochemical and clinical predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) of pregnant women with SLE and APS. Furthermore, we have collected more evidence that confirms the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) preventing APOs.

Supraphysiological estradiol promotes human T follicular helper cell differentiation and favours humoural immunity during in vitro fertilization

During pregnancy, humoural immunity is essential for protection against many extracellular pathogens; however, autoimmune diseases may be induced or aggravated. T follicular helper (Tfh) cells contribute to humoural immunity. The aim of this study was to test whether Tfh cell function can be manipulated via hormones. Seventy‐four women who underwent in vitro fertilization were recruited and divided into four groups: menstrual period (MP), controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH), embryo transfer (ET) and pregnant after embryo transfer (P). A flow cytometry analysis was performed to identify Tfh cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Bioinformatics analysis revealed a possible pathway between Tfh and B cells. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays were used to detect interleukin (IL)‐21 and IL‐6. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to quantify BCL‐6, BACH2, XBP‐1, IRF‐4 and G protein‐coupled (GP)ER‐1 mRNA expression. Compared with the MP group, the COH, ET and P groups showed more Tfh and B cells, as well as higher IL‐21, IL‐6, BCL‐6 and BACH2 expression. Furthermore, Tfh cell frequency in PBMCs, as well as serum IL‐21 and IL‐6 levels, were all positively correlated with serum estradiol (E₂) levels; the B cell percentage also correlated positively with Tfh cells in PBMCs. Combined with the bioinformatics analysis, XBP‐1, IRF‐4 and GPER‐1 expression was related to E₂ levels, both in vivo and in vitro. We speculate that E₂ augments Tfh cells and favours humoural immunity. This study indicates that Tfh cell regulation may be a novel target in maintaining the maternal‐foetal immune balance.