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. 2016 Jul;26(4):569-75.
doi: 10.3109/14397595.2015.1106661. Epub 2015 Nov 20.

Maternal predictive factors for fetal congenital heart block in pregnant mothers positive for anti-SS-A antibodies

Hiroto Tsuboi  1   2 , Takayuki Sumida  1   2 , Hisashi Noma  3   2 , Kazumasa Yamagishi  4   2 , Ai Anami  5   2 , Kotaro Fukushima  5   2 , Hitoshi Horigome  6   2 , Yasuki Maeno  7   2 , Mitsumasa Kishimoto  8   2 , Yoshinari Takasaki  9   2 , Masahiro Nakayama  10   2 , Masako Waguri  11   2 , Haruhiko Sago  12   2 , Atsuko Murashima  13   2
Affiliations

Maternal predictive factors for fetal congenital heart block in pregnant mothers positive for anti-SS-A antibodies

Hiroto Tsuboi et al. Mod Rheumatol. 2016 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the maternal predictive factors for fetal congenital heart block (CHB) in pregnancy in mothers positive for anti-SS-A antibodies.

Methods: The Research Team for Surveillance of Autoantibody-Exposed Fetuses and Treatment of Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus, the Research Program of the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, performed a national survey on pregnancy of mothers positive for anti-SS-A antibodies. We analyzed 635 pregnant mothers who tested positive for anti-SS-A antibodies before conception but had no previous history of fetal CHB. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis (models 1, 2, and 3 using different set of independent variables) investigated the relation between risk of fetal CHB and maternal clinical features.

Results: Of the 635 pregnant mothers, fetal CHB was detected in 16. Univariate analysis showed that fetal CHB associated with use of corticosteroids before conception (OR 3.72, p = 0.04), and negatively with use of corticosteroids (equivalent doses of prednisolone (PSL), at ≥10 mg/day) after conception before 16-week gestation (OR 0.17, p = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, model 1 identified the use of corticosteroids before conception (OR 4.28, p = 0.04) and high titer of anti-SS-A antibodies (OR 3.58, p = 0.02) as independent and significant risk factors, and model 3 identified use of corticosteroids (equivalent doses of PSL, at ≥10 mg/day) after conception before 16-week gestation as independent protective factor against the development of fetal CHB (OR 0.16, p = 0.03). Other maternal clinical features did not influence the development of fetal CHB.

Conclusion: The results identified high titers of anti-SS-A antibodies and use of corticosteroids before conception as independent risk factors, and use of corticosteroids (equivalent doses of PSL, at ≥10 mg/day) after conception before 16-week gestation as an independent protective factor for fetal CHB.

Keywords: Anti-SS-A antibodies; Congenital heart block; Risk factor.

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