Risk factors associated with infections in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence and risk factors associated with infections during pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study using the data of pregnant women who were followed up between 2011 and 2018 at a university hospital.

Results: The data of 221 pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus were analyzed.

COVID-19 related acute genital ulcer: a case report.

Acute vulvar ulcer (Lipschütz's ulcer) is a rare lesion with local hyperimmunoreactivity triggered by infection, which is characterized by acute, painful, and necrotic ulcerations. This condition is usually found in non-sexually active adolescents, and it resolves spontaneously. We report a case of a 35-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 who did not have severe symptoms, but had high levels of D-dimer for 9 days.

The SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI) may predict adverse obstetric events in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of irreversible damage accrual in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and adverse maternal and/or fetal/neonatal outcomes.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study with SLE pregnant patients was carried out from January 2011 to January 2020 at the Hospital University Pedro Ernesto (HUPE) of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Irreversible damage was defined according to SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI).

Soluble Flt-1, Placental Growth Factor, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Serum Levels to Differentiate Between Active Lupus Nephritis During Pregnancy and Preeclampsia.

Objective: To evaluate mean serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PlGF), and soluble Flt-1 (sFlt-1) in pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with inactive disease, active lupus nephritis, and preeclampsia for differential diagnosis between these conditions.

Methods: Pregnant women with SLE, with singleton pregnancies and no other autoimmune diseases, were classified according to disease activity (inactive SLE and active lupus nephritis) and the presence of preeclampsia. Serum samples were collected within 3 weeks of delivery and frozen for subsequent blinded analysis through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.

Challenging cases in rheumatic pregnancies.

This article describes three complicated cases in rheumatology and pregnancy. The first case elucidates the challenges in treating SLE in conjunction with pulmonary arterial hypertension, while the second case features an SLE-affected pregnancy with development of portal hypertension secondary to portal vein thrombosis related to APS. The third case is a pregnant woman with stable SLE who developed thrombotic microangiopathy caused by atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome, and failed to improve despite multiple measures including biopsy and elective preterm delivery.

HPV infection and vaccination in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients: what we really should know.

Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) are at increased risk for infections. Vaccination is a powerful tool to prevent infections, even in immunocompromised patients. Most non-live vaccines are immunogenic and safe in patients with SLE, even if antibody titres are frequently lower than those of healthy controls.