Abstract
Objective Studies in mouse models implicate complement activation as a causative factor in adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). We investigated whether activation of complement early in pregnancy predicts APOs in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and/or antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. Methods The PROMISSE Study enrolled pregnant women with SLE and/or aPL antibodies (n=487) and pregnant healthy controls (n=204) at <12 weeks gestation and evaluated them monthly. APOs were: fetal/neonatal death, preterm delivery <36 weeks because of placental insufficiency or preeclampsia and/or growth restriction <5th percentile. Complement activation products were measured on serial blood samples obtained at each monthly visit. Results APO occurred in 20.5% of SLE and/or aPL pregnancies. As early as 12-15 weeks, levels of Bb and sC5b-9 were significantly higher in patients with APOs and remained elevated through 31 weeks compared with those with normal outcomes. Moreover, Bb and sC5b-9 were significantly higher in patients with SLE and/or aPL without APOs compared with healthy controls. In logistic regression analyses, Bb and sC5b-9 at 12-15 weeks remained significantly associated with APO (OR adj =1.41 per SD increase; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.89; P=0.019 and OR adj =1.37 per SD increase; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.80; P=0.022, respectively) after controlling for demographic and clinical risk factors for APOs in PROMISSE. When analyses were restricted to patients with aPL (n=161), associations between Bb at 12-15 weeks and APOs became stronger (OR adj =2.01 per SD increase; 95% CI 1.16 to 3.49; P=0.013). Conclusion In pregnant patients with SLE and/or aPL, increased Bb and sC5b-9 detectable early in pregnancy are strongly predictive of APOs and support activation of complement, particularly the alternative pathway, as a contributor to APOs.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 549-555 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Annals of the rheumatic diseases |
Volume | 77 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2018 |
Keywords
- antiphospholipid syndrome
- complement
- inflammation
- pregnancy
- systemic lupus erythematosus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Rheumatology
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology