Open AccessHypertension as a Risk Factor in Pregnancies Complicated by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Author(s) -
Kaaja Risto,
Julkunen Heikki,
Ammala Pirkko
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016349009013299
Subject(s) - medicine , risk factor , systemic disease , systemic lupus , pregnancy , obstetrics , dermatology , immunology , immunopathology , disease , biology , genetics
To study the occurrence and significance of pregnancy‐associated hypertension and pre‐eclampsia in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we studied retrospectively 34 pregnancies in 27 SLE patients in 1981‐87. Eleven pregnancies (32%) were hypertensive (group A). The remaining 18 patients during their 23 pregnancies had a normal blood pressure (group B). Previous nephritis was slightly more common in the hypertensive group (54.5% vs. 26.1%, NS). Preeclampsia was present in seven of the pregnancies (21%) and of whom four were superimposed. Flare‐ups of the disease were more common in the non‐hypertensive group (30.4%) than in group A (9.1%) (NS). Duration of pregnancy was the same in the two groups. Intra‐uterine growth retardation was present in 27.3% of the pregnancies in group A and in 13.0% of group B (NS). Fetal loss occurred only in 2 patients of the non‐hypertensive group; one patient had excacerbation of SLE and the other (with two stillbirths) high anticardiolipin antibodies. Our data suggest that pregnancy‐associated hypertension and pre‐eclampsia do not cause increased fetal loss in pregnancies affected by SLE. There seem to be other factors that are more important, such as antiphospholipid antibodies and flare‐ups of the disease.