Pregnancy-Related Challenges in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases
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VOLUME 38 | NUMBER 5 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 The Art and Science of Infusion Nursing Mara Taraborelli, MD Doruk Erkan, MD, MPH Pregnancy-Related Challenges in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases ABSTRACT increase the risk of neonatal lupus erythemato- The awareness of pregnancy-related physiologic sus, eg, photosensitive rash and irreversible con- changes and complications is critical for the genital heart block. Antiphospholipid antibodies appropriate assessment and management of increase the risk of pregnancy morbidity, eg, pregnant patients with systemic autoimmune fetal loss and early preeclampsia. Pregnancy usu- diseases. The overlapping features of physiologic ally has a positive effect on rheumatoid arthritis; and pathological changes, selected autoantibod- however, a disease flare is common during the ies, and the use of potentially teratogenic medi- postpartum period. Both the rheumatologist and cations can complicate their management during the obstetrician should partner throughout the pregnancy. While pregnancy in lupus patients pregnancy to manage patients for successful presents an additional risk to an already complex outcomes. situation, in patients with no disease activity, the Key words: antiphospholipid syndrome, risk of a future pregnancy-related complication is connective tissue diseases, pregnancy, rheumatic relatively low. Anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus ystemic autoimmune diseases (SADs) are rela- Pregnancy and disease outcomes during and after tively common in women of childbearing age. pregnancy of SAD patients have improved significantly Given the chronic relapsing nature of SADs, it in the past decades, as the result of a better understand- is more likely that a woman with an estab- ing of the diseases and the creation of multidisciplinary lished SAD will get pregnant than that a new teams—including rheumatologists, high-risk obstetri- SSAD will be diagnosed in a previously healthy pregnant cians, and neonatologists—experienced in autoimmune woman. diseases.1 However, the overlapping features of physio- logic and pathological changes during pregnancy, select- ed autoantibodies (eg, antiphospholipid [aPL] and anti- Author Affiliations: Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy (Dr Ro/La antibodies), and the teratogenicity of commonly Taraborelli); University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy (Dr Taraborelli); University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy (Dr Taraborelli); Barbara Volcker used immunosuppressive agents can complicate the Center for Women and Rheumatic Diseases, Hospital for Special management of patients with SADs during pregnancy. Surgery, New York, New York (Drs Erkan and Taraborelli); Weill The purpose of this review is to discuss the chal- Medical College, Cornell University, New York, New York (Dr Erkan). lenges health professionals may face while managing Mara Taraborelli, MD, is a rheumatology fellow at the Spedali Civili di Brescia and the University of Brescia in Italy. She is also pregnant patients with established SADs, as well as affiliated with the University of Pavia in Italy and the Hosptial for optimal medication management, including counseling Special Surgery in New York City. and safety. Doruk Erkan, MD, MPH, is an associate physician-scientist at the Barbara Volcker Center for Women and Rheumatic Diseases and an associate attending physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, where he is also an associate professor of medicine PREGNANCY-RELATED at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. PHYSIOLOGIC CHANGES The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Corresponding Author: Mara Taraborelli, MD, Spedali Civili di Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25100, Brescia, Italy (mara. Pregnancy is an altered physiologic state characterized [email protected]). by particular signs, symptoms, and hormonal changes. DOI: 10.1097/NAN.0000000000000124 Various changes can occur during a normal pregnancy 360 Copyright © 2015 Infusion Nurses Society Journal of Infusion Nursing Copyright © 2015 Infusion Nurses Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. JIN-D-14-00060.indd 360 28/08/15 9:48 PM The Art and Science of Infusion Nursing and create a challenge in the management of pregnant no disease activity is relatively low. Many SLE patients patients with SADs2: can undergo successful pregnancies without significant deterioration in their clinical status and with good fetal • Hemodynamic (intravascular volume increase, gener- outcome. alized edema) Case-control studies support little or no increased • Renal (glomerular filtration rate and urine protein risk for disease flare during pregnancy3; however, SLE increase) patients may flare any time during pregnancy, most • Cutaneous (palmar and facial erythema) often in the latter half, and in the postpartum period.4,5 • Musculoskeletal (arthralgia, back pain) Inactive disease for the 6 months preceding pregnancy • Hematologic (anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukocyto- is associated with a lower risk of disease flare6; the sis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate increase, pro- longer a patient is in remission, the better are her thrombotic profile) chances for completing a pregnancy without exacerba- • Immunologic (variation in the function of B cells, T tion. Hypertension and active kidney disease preceding cells, and monocytes; elevated complement [C]3 and pregnancy increase the risk of lupus renal flare and C4 levels) PEC7; renal insufficiency, in particular prepregnancy serum creatinine greater than 1.6 mg/dL, is an impor- PREGNANCY-RELATED tant risk factor for serious renal deterioration during PATHOLOGIC CHANGES pregnancy.8 Pregnancy is inadvisable in the setting of uncontrolled hypertension, progressive renal failure Some pregnancy-related complications are more com- (serum creatinine > 2.5 mg/dL or glomerular filtration mon in patients with SADs compared with the general rate < 35 mL/min), severe neurologic and cardiopulmo- population. Complications health professionals always nary involvement (pulmonary hypertension or severe should include in pregnancy-related discussions are: cardiomyopathy with ejection fraction < 30%-40% or severe restrictive lung disease with forced vital capacity • Preeclampsia (PEC): Blood pressure higher than < 50% of predicted), severe thrombocytopenia (< 140/90 mm Hg after 20 weeks of gestation on at 30,000/mm3), and teratogenic medications.9 least 2 occasions and proteinuria more than 300 Proteinuria during pregnancy requires careful evalu- mg/d ation. The differential diagnosis includes new onset or • HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low worsening lupus nephritis, PEC, or both. Differentiating platelet count) syndrome lupus flare from PEC can be challenging: rapid worsen- • Eclampsia: Seizures occurring in the setting of a PEC ing of proteinuria over days; microscopic hematuria • Preembryonic loss: Loss between conception through with erythrocyte casts; an increase in anti-dsDNA level, week 4 of gestation and extrarenal lupus activity, eg, lymphadenopathy, • Embryonic loss: Loss between weeks 5 through 9 rash, inflammatory arthritis, fever, or leukopenia sup- • Fetal loss: Loss between week 10 of gestation port lupus activity.10 Pregnancy-related rash may mimic through delivery a lupus rash as a result of palmar and facial erythema • Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR): Ultrasound- from increased blood flow to the skin. Bland joint effu- assessed fetal abdominal circumference < 5th sion and diffuse arthralgias, common in pregnancy, may percentile be confused with lupus arthritis. • Preterm delivery: Delivery before week 37 The most common risks to the fetus in a lupus preg- nancy are fetal loss, prematurity, or IUGR.11 Fetal out- PREGNANCY IN SELECTED SADs come is related more to renal involvement, anti-Ro/La antibodies, and aPL, which is discussed below, than the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus occurrence of lupus flare. Proteinuria higher than 0.5 g per 24 hours is an independent predictor of poor fetal Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem outcome: fetal loss occurs in almost 60% of patients autoimmune disease with a wide spectrum of clinical with proteinuria as opposed to 10% of patients who do manifestations and a variable course characterized by not have proteinuria.7 Hypertension and thrombocyto- exacerbations and remissions. The disease can affect penia are additional risk factors for pregnancy loss in any organ system, including cutaneous, musculoskele- SLE patients.12 tal, cardiovascular, renal, and neurological systems. It is Anti-Ro (SS-A) and anti-La (SS-B) antibodies increase characterized by specific autoantibodies, eg, anti–dou- the risk of neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) consist- ble-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and anti-Smith antibodies. ing of photosensitive rash, thrombocytopenia, abnor- While pregnancy in SLE patients presents an addi- mal liver function tests, and rarely irreversible congeni- tional risk to an already complex situation, the risk of a tal heart block (CHB).13 With the exception of CHB, all pregnancy-related complication in stable patients with manifestations disappear with the clearance of maternal VOLUME 38 | NUMBER 5 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 Copyright © 2015 Infusion Nurses Society 361 Copyright © 2015 Infusion Nurses Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. JIN-D-14-00060.indd 361 28/08/15 9:48 PM antibodies at about 4 to 6 months. During pregnancy, of pregnancies continue to experience pregnancy mor- maternal IgG anti-Ro/La are transferred through