OBJECTIVES Adverse pregnancy outcomes are more common in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with healthy women, but we lack prognostic biomarkers. Plasma interferon alpha (IFNα) protein levels are elevated in a subgroup of pregnant women with SLE, but whether this is associated with pregnancy outcomes is unknown. We investigated the relationship between IFNα, adverse pregnancy outcomes and the presence of autoantibodies in SLE pregnancy. METHODS We followed 76 women with SLE prospectively. Protein levels of IFNα were quantified in plasma collected in the 2nd and 3rd trimester with single-molecule array. Positivity for antinuclear and antiphospholipid antibodies was assessed during late pregnancy with multiplexed bead assay. Clinical outcomes included the adverse pregnancy outcomes small for gestational age (SGA), preterm birth, and preeclampsia. RESULTS During SLE pregnancy, women with SGA infants compared with those without had higher levels of plasma IFNα protein, and IFNα positivity was associated with lower birth weight of the infant. Preterm birth was associated with autoantibodies against chromatin. IFNα protein levels associated positively with autoantibodies against chromatin, Smith/ribonucleoprotein (SmRNP) and RNP, but negatively with phospholipid antibodies. CONCLUSION Elevated IFNα protein in plasma of women with SLE is a potential risk factor for lower birth weight of their infants. The association between IFNα and lower birth weight warrants further investigation regarding the pathophysiological role of IFNα during SLE pregnancy.

中文翻译：

---

怀孕期间血浆干扰素-α蛋白水平与系统性红斑狼疮的低出生体重有关


目标 与健康女性相比，系统性红斑狼疮 (SLE) 女性的不良妊娠结局更为常见，但我们缺乏预后生物标志物。患有 SLE 的孕妇的血浆干扰素 α (IFNα) 蛋白水平升高，但这是否与妊娠结局相关尚不清楚。我们研究了 SLE 妊娠中 IFNα、不良妊娠结局和自身抗体存在之间的关系。方法 我们对 76 名患有 SLE 的女性进行了前瞻性随访。使用单分子阵列对妊娠第二和第三个月收集的血浆中的 IFNα 蛋白水平进行定量。在妊娠后期通过多重微珠测定评估抗核和抗磷脂抗体的阳性率。临床结局包括不良妊娠结局小于胎龄（SGA）、早产和先兆子痫。结果 SLE 妊娠期间，患有 SGA 婴儿的女性与未患有 SGA 婴儿的女性相比，血浆 IFNα 蛋白水平较高，且 IFNα 阳性与婴儿出生体重较低相关。早产与针对染色质的自身抗体有关。 IFNα 蛋白水平与染色质、Smith/核糖核蛋白 (SmRNP) 和 RNP 自身抗体呈正相关，但与磷脂抗体呈负相关。结论 SLE 女性血浆中 IFNα 蛋白升高是导致婴儿出生体重降低的潜在危险因素。 IFNα 与低出生体重之间的关联值得进一步研究 IFNα 在 SLE 妊娠期间的病理生理学作用。