Open AccessFrequency of lupus flare in pregnancy: The hopkins lupus pregnancy center experience
Author(s) -
Petri Michelle,
Howard Denise,
Repke John
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
arthritis & rheumatism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1529-0131
pISSN - 0004-3591
DOI - 10.1002/art.1780341210
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , systemic lupus erythematosus , flare , lupus erythematosus , obstetrics , immunology , disease , antibody , genetics , physics , astrophysics , biology
To determine whether pregnancy is associated with an increased rate of flare in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we prospectively studied 40 pregnancies in 37 women with SLE. The women were evaluated on a monthly basis in the Hopkins Lupus Pregnancy Center. Flare was designated using a previously developed quantitative definition, i.e., a change of >1.0 in the physician's global assessment (scale of 0–3) since the preceding visit or during the last 93 days. Flare occurred in 24 (60%) of the pregnancies. Flares presented most commonly as constitutional symptoms, renal involvement, or involvement of skin or joints. Comparison of the rates of flare in the same patients after delivery and in nonpregnant SLE patients showed a significant increase in the rate of flare during pregnancy ( P <0.001 and P <0.0001, respectively). We conclude that flare of lupus during pregnancy is common and occurs significantly more frequently than does flare in nonpregnant SLE patients or in the same patients after pregnancy.