Elsevier

The Journal of Pediatrics

Volume 103, Issue 6, December 1983, Pages 889-891
The Journal of Pediatrics

Original article
Autoantibodies to SS-A/Ro in infants with congenital heart block

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(83)80707-0Get rights and content

Antibodies to SS-A/Ro have been proposed to be a serologic marker for the neonatal lupus syndrome, which is characterized by congenital heart block or cutaneous lupus or both. The antibodies occur in the mother and are transiently found in the child's serum. We examined an unselected series of 12 children with idiopathic CHB, isolated in 10 children and with cutaneous lupus lesions in two. Six of these children and their mothers were studied during the child's neonatal period, and six were studied retrospectively. All six neonates had SS-A/Ro autoantibodies. Nine of 12 mothers had SS-A/Ro autoantibodies. Of the seropositive mothers, one had systemic lupus erythematosus, two had sicca syndrome, one had photosensitivity, one had arthralgias, and four were asymptomatic. We propose that congenital heart block may be related to transplacental passage of maternal SS-A/Ro antibodies and that neonatal lupus may be the most common cause.

References (20)

  • DrazninTH et al.

    Neonatal lupus erythematosus

    J Am Acad Dermatol

    (1979)
  • FrancoHL et al.

    Autoantibodies directed against sicca syndrome antigens in the neonatal lupus syndrome

    J Am Acad Dermatol

    (1981)
  • KephartDC et al.

    Neonatal lupus erythematosus: New serologic findings

    J Invest Dermatol

    (1981)
  • WestonWL et al.

    A serological marker for neonatal lupus

    Br J Dermatol

    (1982)
  • MiyagawaS et al.

    Placental transfer of anticytoplasmic antibodies in annular erythema of newborns

    Arch Dermatol

    (1981)
  • LockshinMD et al.

    Neonatal lupus erythematosus with heart block: Family study of a patient with anti-SS-A and SS-B antibodies

    Arthritis Rheum

    (1983)
  • GreenwaldCA et al.

    Laboratory tests for antinuclear antibody (ANA) in rheumatic diseases

    Lab Med

    (1978)
  • ColtonT

    Statistics in medicine

  • McCueCM et al.

    Congenital heart block in newborns of mothers with connective tissue disease

    Circulation

    (1977)
  • WinklerRB et al.

    Familial congenital complete heart block and maternal systemic lupus erythematosus

    Circulation

    (1977)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (112)

  • A nomogram to predict the risk of lupus enteritis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with gastroinctestinal involvement

    2021, EClinicalMedicine
    Citation Excerpt :

    However, in this study, we did not find a link between lupus anticoagulant and LE. The anti-SSA antibody is associated with various autoimmune diseases, including Sjogren's syndrome, SLE, and primary biliary cirrhosis as well as with pulmonary hypertension, and neonatal heart block [24,30-32]. Anti-Rib-P antibody is a specific autoantibody that has diagnostic value for SLE and is related to disease activity and early onset [33,34].

  • Passively acquired lupus in the fetus and neonate

    2021, Lahita’s Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  • Arrhythmias and pacing

    2018, Critical Heart Disease in Infants and Children
  • Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus

    2015, Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology
  • The pathogenesis of neonatal autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases: A comprehensive review

    2013, Journal of Autoimmunity
    Citation Excerpt :

    The autoantibodies included the anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B found previously in patients with SLE. In 1983, it was noted that the presence of anti-SSA and/or anti-SSB in mothers of infants with congenital heart block was almost universal [16]. In 1985, a report appeared in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology showing the presence of anti-SS-A antigen in human fetal cardiac tissue and in human skin at any age [17].

  • Neonatal Cardiovascular Physiology and Care

    2012, Pediatric Surgery, 2-Volume Set: Expert Consult - Online and Print
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text