Assessment of reproductive history in systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis and pregnancy outcomes: a retrospective study from a single center

Background

Pregnancy in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients is no more an infrequent event as it used to be, but literature data on pregnancy outcomes in women with SSc are scarce. The rate of preterm deliveries and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) seems to be increased, while the risk of miscarriages is controversial. Moreover, no study compared pregnancy outcomes in SSc with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We performed a retrospective study to compare the pregnancy and disease outcomes of women with SSc with a cohort of age-matched women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and healthy controls (HC).

Methods

A total of 154 pregnancies from SSc, SLE, APS patients, and HC were prospectively followed at the High-Risk Pregnancy Unit of our center from 2008 to 2019. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of miscarriages, fetal deaths, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preeclampsia, neonatal deaths, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborns. Single adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) represented secondary endpoints. SSc activity variations in relation to pregnancy were assessed.

Results

The risk of APO was significantly higher in SSc patients compared to HC (60.6% vs 10.0%; OR = 14.42; 95% CI 3.70–56.18, p = 0.001) and SLE patients (60.6% vs 37.5%; OR = 3.56; 95% CI 1.29–9.83, p = 0.014). Compared to HC, women with SSc had an increased frequency of first trimester miscarriage (15% vs 0 %; p = 0.016), preeclampsia (12% vs 0%, p = 0.038), and SGA newborns (21.2% vs 0%; p = 0.003). Preterm deliveries were more frequent in SSc pregnancies in comparison with HC (24.2% vs 5%; OR = 6.08; 95% CI 1.19–31.02, p = 0.036) and SLE patients (24.2% vs 7.5%, OR = 5.68; 95% CI 1.1–29.38, p = 0.038). Disease remained stable in all SSc patients during pregnancy and up to 1 year after delivery.

Conclusions

We found an increased risk of APO in our SSc cohort in comparison with HC (with higher rates of miscarriages, preeclampsia, SGA newborns, and preterm deliveries) and SLE patients (presenting a higher rate of preterm deliveries). High-risk multidisciplinary management of SSc pregnant women is highly recommended.

Pregnancy in autoimmune rheumatic diseases: the importance of counselling for old and new challenges

Rheumatic diseases can affect women during their childbearing age. Therefore, physicians should introduce a discussion with the patients about pregnancy and its problems. Lupus pregnancies can be successful, even in patients with renal disease, when planned in remission state; the use of low dose aspirin was shown to be an independent predictor of good outcome, so it can be suggested as a preventive measure. Pregnancies in women with Antiphospholipid Syndrome can fail even if properly treated, especially when associated with a systemic autoimmune disease, a history of both thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity, and a triple positivity of antiphospholipid antibody assays. Women with systemic sclerosis have generally a good obstetric outcome, except for an increase rate of preterm deliveries. Severe disease complications were sometimes reported, but their relationship with gestation is not clear yet. Although data on human pregnancy are still preliminary, anti-TNF agents are classified as non teratogens in contrast to methotrexate and leflunomide. So women affected by aggressive chronic arthritis may be treated with anti-TNF in the pre-conceptional period, discontinuing the drug as soon as pregnancy starts. In order to increase maternal compliance and cope with difficult cases, a multidisciplinary team (rheumatologists/internists, obstetricians and neonatologists) should take care of patients during pregnancy.

Separate influences of birth order and gravidity/parity on the development of systemic sclerosis

OBJECTIVE

Birth order has been valuable in revealing the role of environmental influences on the risk of developing certain diseases such as allergy and atopy. In addition, pregnancy has profound effects on the immune system such as short-term effects that permit fetal survival as well as longer-term effects that could influence late-onset diseases. In order to better evaluate these influences, we studied the association of birth order and gravidity/parity as risk factors for systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma).

METHODS

Data regarding SSc cases and their unaffected sibling controls were obtained from the Scleroderma Family Registry and DNA Repository. The case-sibling design was used to minimize confounding due to differences in age, race, ethnicity, or calendar time. The gravidity/parity analysis was based on sibships with at least one SSc-affected and one unaffected sister.

RESULTS

Birth order was examined in 974 sibships, comparing SSc cases (n = 987) with their unaffected siblings (n = 3,088). The risk of scleroderma increased with increasing birth order (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.06-1.50 for birth order 2-5; OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.57-3.15 for birth order 6-9; and OR 3.53, 95% CI 1.68-7.45 for birth order 10-15). Gravidity/parity was analyzed in 168 sibships (256 unaffected sisters, 172 SSc cases). We found an association between a history of one or more pregnancies and SSc (OR 2.8).

CONCLUSION

Birth order and pregnancy were independently associated with a higher risk of developing SSc. These findings suggest that immune development in early childhood and/or pregnancy-associated events, including but not limited to microchimerism, plays a role in SSc susceptibility.