Maternal and fetal outcomes in women complicated with lupus nephritis

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnant women with lupus nephritis (LN) and the risk factors.Methods Ninety-three patients with 97 pregnancies from January 1st,1990 to December 31st,2012 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were evaluated retrospectively.Objects of study were divided into three groups:stable lupus before pregnancy (stable group,52 cases),active lupus before pregnancy (active group,26 cases),and newly diagnosed LN during pregnancy (19 cases).Adverse maternal outcomes included exacerbated disease during pregnancy,preeclampsia,increased proteinuria and impaired renal function during pregnancy or postpartum,maternal death,thrombocytopenia and hypocomplementemia.Adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes included therapeutically termination of pregnancy,fetal loss,neonatal death,preterm labor,small gestational age and asphyxia.Statistical analysis was performed by Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test.A binary logistic regression model was used to evaluate the risk factors for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.Results (1) Adverse maternal outcomes:There was no significant difference between exacerbated cases during pregnancies in stable group and that in active group [53.8 ％ (28/52) vs 61.5 ％ (16/26),x2 =0.417,P＞0.05].After deleting abortions before 20 weeks of gestation (5 cases in stable group and 4 cases in active group),there was no significant difference between preeclampsia incidence in stable group and that in active group [36.2％ (17/47) vs 59.1％ (13/22),x2 =3.204,P＞0.05].In nineteen newly diagnosed LN women,eighteen cases were over 20 weeks of gestation,during which preeclampsia incidence was 6/18.(2) Adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes:Therapeutically termination of pregnancy rate was higher in active group than that in stable group[42.3％(10/26) vs 7.7％(4/52),Fisher's exact test,P＜0.01].After deleting patients who required termination of pregnancy (three cases in stable group) and therapeutically termination of pregnancy (four cases in stable group and ten cases in active group),the rate of fetal loss and neonatal death was higher in active group than that in stable group [5/16 vs 6.7％(3/45),Fisher's exact test,P＜0.05].The rate of adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes was higher in active group than that in stable group [92.3％(24/26) vs50％(26/52),x2=13.483,P＜0.001].Among the nineteen newly diagnosed LN cases during pregnancy,the numbers of therapeutically termination of pregnancy and fetal loss were five and three cases respectively; among eleven live birth cases,two newborns died from severe asphyxia,and nine cases were preterm birth.(3) Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for exacerbated lupus during pregnancy were hypocomplementemia (OR =0.300,95％ CI:0.104-0.863) and thrombocytopenia (OR =0.054,95％CI∶0.007-0.439).The independent risk factors for preeclampsia in LN pregnant women were thrombocytopenia (OR=0.151,95％CI:0.046-0.499) and LN recurrence or first diagnosed during pregnancy (OR=0.135,95％CI:0.027-0.679).The independent risk factors for adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes were preeclampsia (OR=0.134,95％CI:0.028-0.637) and lupus active during pregnancy (OR =0.026,95 ％ CI:0.005-0.138).Conclusions Active lupus before pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes in lupus nephritis pregnancy.All pregnancies with LN should be planned,preferably after more than six months of quiescent disease.Blood pressure,renal function,proteinuria and level of platelet and serum complements should be closely monitored. Key words: Pregnancy complications;  Lupus crythematosus, systemic;  Lupus nephritis; Pre-eclampsia;  Pregnancy outcome