[Effects of pregnancy on the course of systemic lupus erythematosus].

A SLE course has been analyzed retrospectively in pregnancy and after delivery for 34 patients (44 pregnancies). Aggravation of the disease was registered in 6 cases (13.5%). Only two of them received prophylactic corticosteroid maintenance. Two SLE patients with unaffected kidneys had no pregnancy-related SLE exacerbations though they developed nephropathy of the pregnant. After delivery the disease aggravated in 12 patients (27.3%). Five patients had moderate exacerbations within half a year after the delivery, seven patients developed severe exacerbations within 3-11 postnatal months. Five out of seven women presented nephrotic syndrome. One of the patients died of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Three women had renal damage after the delivery as initial condition. SLE exacerbations were reported more frequently in young patients (under 30, in 15 of 31 pregnancies) than in older ones (over 30, in 3 of 13 pregnancies). Postnatal SLE aggravations can be prevented by large doses of prednisolone (20-30 mg/day) administered for 2-3 weeks.