Pregnancy, lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome (Hughes syndrome)

Autoimmune diseases ( AD) occur frequently in women during their childbearing years and may influence pregnancy outcome and neonatal health. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can experience a disease flare-up during pregnancy with potential negative effects on the product of conceptus, especially if the disease is active. Recurrent pregnancy loss is now considered as a treatable clinical condition associated with the presence of circulating antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). The neonatal lupus syndromes (NLS), caused by the transplacental passage of maternal IgG anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibodies to the fetus, carry significant morbidity and mortality in case of cardiac manifestations. Immunosuppressive agents are often administered during pregnancy in order to control maternal disease and to ensure a better pregnancy outcome. Nowadays, owing to our increasing knowledge of the disease pathophysiological mechanisms and the development of combined medical-obstetric clinics, pregnancy outcome in patients with AD has notably improved.