SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS AND PREGNANC Y

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 prophylac tic corticosteroid maintenance. Two SLE patients with unaffected kidne ys had no pregnancy-related SLE exacerbations though they developed ne phropathy of the pregnant. After delivery the disease aggravated in 12 patients (27.3%). Five patients had moderate exacerbations within hal f a year after the delivery, seven patients developed severe exacerbat ions within 3-11 postnatal months. Five out of seven women presented n ephrotic syndrome. One of the patients died of rapidly progressive glo merulonephritis. Three women had renal damage after the delivery as in itial condition. SLE exacerbations were reported more frequently in yo ung patients (under 30, in 15 of 31 pregnancies) than in older ones (o ver 30, in 3 of 13 pregnancies). Postnatal SLE aggravations can be pre vented by large doses of prednisolone (20-30 mg/day) administered for 2-3 weeks.