Fetal and neonatal involvement in maternal rheumatologic disease

Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes in Pregnant Women with Lupus: Retrospective Study in a Portuguese Tertiary Center

OBJECTIVE

 Pregnancy in women with lupus poses a higher risk of complications compared with the general population. The present study aimed to determine and describe the obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with lupus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 We conducted an observational retrospective study of pregnant women with the diagnosis of lupus, who were selected and followed at the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic of our institution between January 2013 and July 2018. We analyzed 59 pregnancies and 52 newborns, and collected data regarding sociodemographic features, the preconception period, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and the newborn. A descriptive analysis of the variables was performed.

RESULTS

 In 58% of the cases, the pregnancy was uneventful. We registered flares in 25% of the cases, preeclampsia in 3%, fetal growth restriction in 12%, gestational loss in 10%, preterm labor in 10%, postpartum complications in 20%, and small for gestational age newborns in 17% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS

 Most pregnancies in women with lupus have favorable obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Prenatal counseling, adequate multidisciplinary surveillance, and optimized treatment of the disease are fundamental pillars for these good results.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with inflammatory myopathies

OBJECTIVES

Pregnancy outcomes in women with inflammatory myopathies (IM) are not well studied. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of IM on maternal and neonatal outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project - Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) from 1999 to 2015. Among all pregnant women who delivered during this period, those with a diagnosis of IM were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) coding, which included all patients with dermatomyositis and polymyositis. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared in pregnant women with and without IM. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted effects of IM on these outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 13,792,544 pregnant women delivered between 1999 and 2015, of which 308 had a diagnosis of IM, for an overall prevalence of 2 per 100,000 pregnant women, with rates increasing over the study period. Pregnant women with IM were more likely to be older, African American and suffer from other autoimmune connective tissue diseases. IM in pregnancy was associated with greater risk of preeclampsia, caesarean delivery, major postpartum infections, urinary tract infections and longer hospital stay. Neonates born to mothers with IM had greater risk of prematurity, small for gestational age and intrauterine fetal demise.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with IM are at higher risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes and should be closely followed in specialized centers with collaboration between maternal-fetal medicine and rheumatology.

Lupus Pneumonitis: Case Report of a Rare Manifestation of Neonatal Lupus

Neonatal lupus is a rare entity, secondary to placental transfer of antibodies from mothers with immune-mediated conditions. While pulmonary involvement is common in lupus, its incidence in neonates is extremely rare, with very few cases being reported in the literature. The authors report a case of a neonate whose mother was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, with a prenatal diagnosis of third-degree atrioventricular block. While initially admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit with no need for organ support, he presented progressive respiratory failure, initially attributed to sepsis. Favorable clinical progression after pacemaker placement allowed ventilatory weaning, but respiratory failure was again apparent. Chest computer tomography revealed areas of ground-glass lesions, raising the suspicion for lupus pneumonitis. He was started on immunoglobulin and corticosteroids, with clinical improvement. The authors consider this case to be relevant due to the rarity of acute lupus pneumonitis in neonates, alerting that it must be considered a differential diagnosis in neonates with prolonged ventilator dependency.

The Effects of LIT and MLR-Bf on Immune Biomarkers and Pregnancy Outcomes in Women With Previous Early Recurrent Miscarriage: A Retrospective Study

Background: Immunological failure during pregnancy is considered one of the etiologies of recurrent miscarriage (RM). The decreased production of mixed lymphocyte reaction-blocking factors (MLR-Bf) may play a major role in this condition. Lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT), which induces the production of MLR-Bf, has been used in treating RM patients since 1984. However, the effectiveness of LIT is currently being heatedly debated. In addition to that, possible changes to the maternal immune system upon induced MLR-Bf production by LIT remains unclear. Objectives: To explore the possible impacts that MLR-Bf may have on the expression of immune biomarkers and pregnancy outcomes, and deduce whether the prevention of miscarriages is possible with LIT or MLR-Bf in RM patients. Materials and Methods: Women with previous early RM (eRM) were enrolled in this retrospective study after they got pregnant again. LIT was implemented before pregnancy and during the first trimester. MLR-Bf and immune biomarkers were checked as the clinical routine. Patients were followed up until 12 gestational weeks. Levels of immune biomarkers and successful pregnancy rates were compared between MLR-Bf^- group and MLR-Bf⁺ group stratified by LIT. Independent associations between LIT, or MLR-Bf, and miscarriage were estimated. All data management and analysis were conducted using SPSS 20.0. Results: A total of 1,038 patients, 497 MLR-Bf^- (49 cases accepted LIT), and 541 MLR-Bf⁺(463 cases induced by LIT) were included in the study. Percentage of lymphocytes, the ratio of CD4+ T cells/lymphocytes, and levels of some rheumatoid biomarkers (anti-U1-nRNP, anti-SAA-52kd, and anti-CENOP B) were statistically higher in MLR-Bf⁺ group than in MLR-Bf^- group among women without LIT. With LIT treatment the successful pregnancy rate was statistically higher in MLR-Bf⁺ group than in MLR-Bf^- group (66.7% vs. 51.0%, P = 0.028) among women with LIT. Meanwhile, LIT was estimated to have an independent negative association with miscarriage. Conclusion: Upon LIT treament levels of immune biomarkers were different in women with and without MLR-Bf when stratified by whether they received LIT. Not MLR-Bf, but LIT, has an independent protective effect on miscarriage.

Fetal Echocardiography for the General Pediatrician

Fetal echocardiography is now commonly used to assess fetuses for congenital heart disease. To care for their patients, it is important for the pediatrician to understand the utility of the test, the benefits, and the limitations of the results. This review outlines the indications, components, and limitations of fetal echocardiography with a focus on the care that the pediatrician provides to newborns and their families. An understanding of the fetal cardiac examination can assist the pediatrician in caring for patients with either normal or abnormal test results. The need for and timing of postnatal cardiology follow-up, and guidance on referral for fetal echocardiogram for future pregnancies are all critical roles that the pediatrician can play. Most importantly, an understanding of the limitations, including difficult-to-diagnose lesions, allows the pediatrician to maintain a high level of suspicion for cardiac defects regardless of fetal echocardiography findings. [Pediatr Ann. 2021;50(3):e121-e127.].

Lung complications of Sjogren syndrome

Primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterised by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands and by a number of systemic manifestations, including those regarding the lung. Pulmonary involvement in pSS includes interstitial lung disease (ILD) and airway disease, together with lymphoproliferative disorders.

Patients with pSS-ILD report impaired health-related quality of life and a higher risk of death, suggesting the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of this type of pulmonary involvement. In contrast, airway disease usually has little effect on respiratory function and is rarely the cause of death in these patients.

More rare disorders can be also identified, such as pleural effusion, cysts or bullae.

Up to date, available data do not allow us to establish an evidence-based treatment strategy in pSS-ILD. No data are available regarding which patients should be treated, the timing to start therapy and better therapeutic options. The lack of knowledge about the natural history and prognosis of pSS-ILD is the main limitation to the development of clinical trials or shared recommendations on this topic. However, a recent trial showed the efficacy of the antifibrotic drug nintedanib in slowing progression of various ILDs, including those in pSS patients.

Primary Sjogren syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease with a possible lung involvement, that it appears as polymorphic, including interstitial lung disease, airway disease and lymphoproliferative disorders with different degree of severityhttps://bit.ly/3akjk4b