Pregnancy and lupus nephritis

We retrospectively studied 10 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-seen between October 1981 and October 1989-who underwent 29 pregnancies to assess the influence of SLE on the outcome of pregnancy and the effects of pregnancy on the course of lupus nephritis. Nineteen gestations occurred before the diagnosis of SLE was made, 7 after and in 3 cases it wasmade in the second trimester of pregnancy. Out of 29 pregnancies, 12 were successful, 16 unsuccessful and 1 patient underwent a medical termination of pregnancy (MTP). A history of repeated abortions prior to the diagnosis of SLE was obtained in 2 patients. When the disease had been in remission for 6 months, 5 successful pregnancies occurred. Two patients showed a rise in plasma creatinine and developed severe hypertension during the third trimester. Weconclude that a prior history of repeated abortions may be one of the manifestations of underlying SLE. In these patients successfuloutcome of conception without deterioration of maternal renal function may be obtained provided gestation occurs during a period of sustained remission.