Update on Pregnancy in Autoimmune Diseases

Abstract

The 12th International Congress on Matucci Cerinic (University of FlorAntiphospholipid Antibodies and the 5th International Conference on Sex Hormones, Pregnancy and Rheumatic Diseases offered the unique opportunity to bring together the world leaders in the field of pregnancy and rheumatic diseases. The management of pregnancy in women suffering from rheumatic diseases is becoming a common clinical situation. Moreover, we now have more information on the pathogenic mechanisms responsible for pregnancy complications: negative pregnancy outcomes, disease flares and consequences of the mother’s disease or treatment on the offspring. A specific and interdisciplinary expertise is required to avoid such manifestations. An additional aspect is represented by the use of the newly introduced antirheumatic drugs. The correct pregnancy planning, the use of widely validated therapeutical regimens and the careful administration of safe drugs can offer the chance for term pregnancies in rheumatic patients. The program, which attracted attendees from 50 different countries, was drafted by an international committee, cochaired by Pier Luigi Meroni (University of Milan, Milan, Italy), Angela Tincani (University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy), Maurizio Cutolo (University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy) and Marco ence, Florence, Italy). The aim was to provide physicians with updated information on the management of pregnancy in women suffering from autoimmune diseases. The conference was organized in combination with the 12th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies. Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are in fact one of the most frequent causes of pregnancy complications in autoimmune patients, but are also one of the few known causes of pregnancy loss in the general population. Miscarriages and other obstetrical complications represent one of the most important features of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and are formal classification criteria for APS. Most of the systemic autoimmune diseases display a high female:male ratio and have their peak of incidence in the childbearing age. Moreover, the improved prognosis of systemic autoimmune diseases favors a planned pregnancy. Hence, pregnancy in women suffering from systemic autoimmune diseases is becoming a clinical situation more and more common. The problem of pregnancy in autoimmune patients can be addressed from different points of view: