Approach to Pregnancy in Patients With Lupus Nephritis

Active lupus nephritis (LN) in pregnancy is strongly associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes and, therefore, has implications on the planning, timing, and management. Prepregnancy evaluation is essential for all LN patients with childbearing potential to ensure pregnancies proceed in a safe and timely manner. Both maternal and fetal risks are communicated to patient during the evaluation. Stratification into different risk profile groups is then made based on disease activity and organ impairment severity. Patients with LN are generally divided into 3 main groups. Patients with LN who become pregnant receive treatments that are nonteratogenic and optimal for fetal and maternal outcomes. Throughout the pregnancy period, these patients are monitored closely under surveillance by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians. The management of patients with LN in pregnancy can be challenging both diagnostically (distinguishing LN from pre-eclampsia and determining the role and timing of kidney biopsy) and therapeutically (LN flares during pregnancy and managing a newly diagnosed LN during pregnancy).