General characteristics and treatments of pregnant women with and without SLE.
| SLE, n = 163 | Controls, n = 596 | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at diagnosis, yrs | 26.2 ± 5.7 | NA | NA |
| Maternal age, yrs, mean ± SD | 31.9 ± 4.3 | 31.8 ± 4.1 | 0.70 |
| Follow-up period, months | 65.8 ± 61.3 | NA | NA |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 20.9 ± 3.2 | 22.3 ± 4.3 | 0.007* |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |||
| Hypertension | 1 (0.6) | 15 (2.5) | 0.14 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 0 (0) | 11 (1.8) | 0.08 |
| Thyroid disorder | 15 (9.2) | 65 (10.9) | 0.54 |
| Assisted reproductive technology | 10 (6.1) | 37 (6.2) | 0.61 |
| Clinical manifestations, n (%) | |||
| Oral ulcer | 12 (7.4) | NA | NA |
| Malar rash | 31 (19) | NA | NA |
| Photosensitivity | 20 (12.3) | NA | NA |
| Alopecia | 15 (9.2) | NA | NA |
| Arthritis | 34 (20.9) | NA | NA |
| Lupus nephritis | 29 (17.8) | NA | NA |
| Serositis | 2 (1.2) | NA | NA |
| Laboratory finding | |||
| Leukopenia, < 4000/mm3, n (%) | 22 (14) | 2 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Lymphopenia, < 1000/mm3, n (%) | 32 (19.6) | 27 (0.1) | < 0.001* |
| Thrombocytopenia, < 100,000/mm3, n (%) | 19 (11.7) | 3 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 11.9 ± 1.56 | 12.1 ± 1.26 | 0.004* |
| ESR, mm/h | 24 ± 17.4 | 23.4 ± 13.4 | 0.24 |
| Serum creatinine, mg/dL | 0.7 ± 0.15 | 0.57 ± 0.37 | 0.97 |
| Immunologic finding, n (%) | |||
| ANA positivity | 162 (99.4) | NA | NA |
| Anti-dsDNA Ab positivity | 56 (34.4) | NA | NA |
| Anti-Sm Ab positivity | 6 (3.7) | NA | NA |
| aPL positivity | 30 (18.4) | NA | NA |
| APS diagnosis | 7 (4.3) | NA | NA |
| Low complements (C3 < 90 mg/dL or C4 < 10 mg/dL) | 87 (53.4) | NA | NA |
| Urinalysis | |||
| Proteinuria, mg/d | 660.7 ± 2304.2 | 53.2 ± 617.9 | < 0.001* |
| Proteinuria > 0.5 g/d, n (%) | 22 (13.5) | 6 (0) | < 0.001* |
| SLEDAI-2K, initial | 7.20 ± 5.04 | NA | NA |
| SLEPDAI-2K, at pregnancy | 3.80 ± 4.57 | NA | NA |
| LLDAS, n (%) | 89 (54.6) | NA | NA |
| Treatment, n (%) | |||
| Hydroxychloroquine | 110 (67.5) | NA | NA |
| NSAID | 43 (26.4) | 14 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Acetylsalicylic acid | 51 (31.3) | 3 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Heparin | 15 (9.2) | 3 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Corticosteroid | |||
| Cumulative dose before pregnancy, g (prednisone-equivalent) | 7.4 ± 12.24 | 0 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Total dose 3 months before pregnancy, mg (prednisone-equivalent) | 230.4 ± 394.7 | 0 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Mean dose during pregnancy, mg (prednisone-equivalent) | 11.2 ± 78.4 | 0 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Immunosuppressant, n (%) | 45 (27.6) | 0 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Azathioprine | 22 (13.5) | 0 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Mycophenolate mofetil | 14 (8.6) | 0 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Cyclophosphamide | 24 (14.7) | 0 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Cyclosporine | 8 (4.9) | 0 (0) | < 0.001* |
| ACEi or ARB, n (%) | 22 (13.5) | 4 (0) | < 0.001* |
| Vitamin D, n (%) | 60 (36.8) | 16 (0) | < 0.001* |
Values are mean ± SD unless otherwise indicated.
↵*P < 0.05. Ab: antibody; ACEi: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ANA: antinuclear antibody; aPL: antiphospholipid antibody; APS: antiphospholipid syndrome; ARB: angiotensin receptor blocker; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; LLDAS: Lupus Low Disease Activity State; NA: not applicable; NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; SLEDAI-2K: SLE Disease Activity Index 2000; SLEPDAI-2K: SLE Pregnancy Disease Activity Index 2000.