METHODS: A retrospective study involving pregnant women with SLE who had antenatal follow-up and delivery in between 1 January 2007 and 1 January 2017. All participants were retrospectively enrolled and categorized into two groups based on hydroxychloroquine treatment during pregnancy.
RESULTS: There were 82 pregnancies included with 47 (57.3%) in the hydroxychloroquine group and 35 (42.7%) in the non-hydroxychloroquine group. Amongst hydroxychloroquine users, there were significantly more pregnancies with musculoskeletal involvement (p = 0.03), heavier mean neonatal birthweight (p = 0.02), and prolonged duration of pregnancy (p = 0.001). In non-hydroxychloroquine patients, there were significantly more recurrent miscarriages (p = 0.003), incidence of hypertension (p = 0.01) and gestational diabetes mellitus (p = 0.01) and concurrent medical illness (p = 0.005). Hydroxychloroquine use during pregnancy was protective against hypertension (p = 0.001), and the gestational age at delivery had significant effect on the neonatal birthweight (p = 0.001). However, duration of the disease had a significant negative effect on the neonatal birthweight (p = 0.016).
CONCLUSION: Hydroxychloroquine enhanced better neonatal outcomes and reduced adverse pregnancy outcomes and antenatal complications such as hypertension and diabetes.
DESIGN & PARTICIPANTS: 332 mothers (197 NGTF, 56 SGTF-U, 79 SGTF-T) aged 41.2±5.3 years (mean±SD) and 326 paired children assessed 9.3±1.0 years after birth for (i) body mass index (BMI); (ii) lean, fat, and bone mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; (iii) blood pressure, augmentation index, and aortic pulse-wave-velocity; and (iv) thyroid function, lipids, insulin, and adiponectin. The difference between group means was compared using linear regression.
RESULTS: Offspring's measurements were similar between groups. Although maternal BMI was similar between groups at CATS-I, after 9 years (at CATS-II) SGTF-U mothers showed higher BMI (median [interquartile ratio] 28.3 [24.6-32.6] kg/m2) compared with NGTF (25.8 [22.9-30.0] kg/m2; P = 0.029), driven by fat mass increase. At CATS-II SGTF-U mothers also had higher thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) values (2.45 [1.43-3.50] mU/L) than NGTF (1.54 [1.12-2.07] mU/L; P = 0.015), since 64% had never received levothyroxine. At CATS-II, SGTF-T mothers had BMI (25.8 [23.1-29.8] kg/m2, P = 0.672) and TSH (1.68 [0.89-2.96] mU/L; P = 0.474) values similar to NGTF mothers.
CONCLUSIONS: Levothyroxine supplementation of women with SGTF did not affect long-term offspring anthropometric, bone, and cardiometabolic measurements. However, absence of treatment was associated with sustained long-term increase in BMI and fat mass in women with SGTF.