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Friday 07 October 2022 from 13:00 to 14:10
PO.8 E- poster session 8: skin manifestations, SLE and infections, fertility and pregnancy, imaging
PO.8.177 Low complement levels in the first trimester predict disease flare in SLE pregnancy: a network meta-analysis on 532 patients
  1. M Radin1,
  2. F Crisafulli2,
  3. I Cecchi1,
  4. E Klumb3,
  5. G De Jesùs3,
  6. MA Saavedra4,
  7. GV Reyes-Navarro5,
  8. L Iaccarino6,
  9. M Larosa6,
  10. G Moroni7,
  11. F Tamborini7,
  12. D Roccatello1,
  13. L Andreoli2,
  14. C Chighizola8 and
  15. S Sciascia1
  1. 1University of Turin, Clinical and Biological Sciences ~ Torino ~ Italy
  2. 2Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit ASST Spedali Civili and University of Brescia ~ Italy
  3. 3Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rheumatology Department, ~ Rio de Janeiro ~ Brazil
  4. 4Hospital de Especialidades Dr. Antonio Fraga Mouret, Rheumatology Department ~ Mexico City ~ Mexico
  5. 5Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, School of Medicine Puebla Campus ~ Puebla ~ Mexico
  6. 6University of Padova, Rheumatology Unit, ~ Padova ~ Italy
  7. 7Humanitas University, Department of Biomedical Sciences ~ Rozzano ~ Italy
  8. 8ASST G. Pini and CTO, Pediatric Rheumatology ~ Milano ~ Italy

Abstract

Purpose Complement system is a key-player in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); its decreases correlate with disease activity and precedes flare. Since synthesis of complement proteins increase during gestational course, it is debated whether complement levels exert a prognostic role in pregnant women with SLE.

We performed a network meta-analysis to assess the prognostic role of complement in pregnant SLE women, to evaluate the possible role of complement fluctuations during pregnancies.

Methods Data from available prospective studies (Jan 2002-Dec 2020) investigating pregnancies in at least 50 SLE patients, excluding miscarriages before 12 weeks, were pooled together. After a systematic literature search, corresponding authors of 19 retrieved studies meeting inclusion criteria were invited to contribute with additional data, including complement levels [6 months before pregnancy, at conception, 1st trimester (T1), 2nd trimester (T2), 3rd trimester (T3) and 3 months after delivery].

Results A total of 532 SLE women from four eligible studies were included in the analysis.1–4Lupus Nephritis (LN) was diagnosed in 237 patients (44.5%) and Antiphospholipid Syndrome in 68 (12.8%). A total of 170 patients (32%) experienced a flare during pregnancy, defined as need of new Immunosuppressants or increase of prednisone > 9 mg/day.

Patients with LN had significantly lower mean levels of complement (C3 at conception; C3 at T1; C3 after 3 months of delivery; C4 at all timepoints except for C4 at T3).

SLE patients who experienced flares during pregnancy had significantly lower mean levels of complement (all timepoints for both C3 and C4). Table 1 shows the mean C3 and C4 levels in different timepoints according to diagnosis and flare during pregnancy. The lowest levels of complement were observed in patients with a concomitant diagnosis of LN and presence of flare, particularly during the T1 (Figure 1). Nevertheless, both in LN and flare groups the lowest levels of C3 and C4 were documented at T1.

View this table:
Abstract PO.8.177 Table 1

Complement levels at the different timepoints according to presence of flare (bold results are statistically significant)

Abstract PO.8.177 Figure 1
Abstract PO.8.177 Figure 1

Complement levels during time in patients with lupus nephritis and presence, or absence, of flare

Conclusions In this prospective large cohort of SLE patients low C3/C4 levels, particularly in T1, were associated with a higher frequency of flare. Lowering levels of complement, especially in T1, even within normal range might alert the treating clinicians in predicting disease course and consequently avoid flares, especially in LN.

References

  1. Saavedra MÁ, et al. Int J Rheum Dis 2020.

  2. Moroni G, et al. J Autoimmun 2016.

  3. Rodrigues BC, et al. Lupus 2019.

  4. Borella E, et al. Immunol Res 2014.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

https://doi.org/10.1136/lupus-2022-elm2022.196

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