Pregnancy in Women With Systemic Lupus and Lupus Nephritis

Pregnancy is an altered immunologic state in which hormonal changes impact the immune system to enable maternal tolerance of the fetus. These hormonal and immunologic changes may affect disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. Conversely, lupus nephritis and its complications may adversely impact pregnancy. Systemic lupus erythematosus increases the risk of pre-eclampsia and its complications, including preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction. Comorbidities such as impaired kidney function and hypertension confer additional risk and complexity. Medications used to treat lupus nephritis may impact the fetus, so therapy needs to be tailored to balance maternal benefit and fetal risk. The diagnosis of lupus nephritis during pregnancy can be difficult, as it shares overlapping features with pre-eclampsia. Kidney biopsy is generally safe in pregnancy, and should be considered if the result will affect management. Here we review the clinical aspects of counseling, diagnosis, and management of lupus nephritis in pregnancy. (C) 2019 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.