Abstract
Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) increases the risk of complications in pregnancy.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) decreases flares and neonatal lupus syndrome. Limited evidence
suggests that HCQ also reduces preeclampsia and preterm birth in SLE pregnancies.
We studied whether HCQ was associated with lower odds of preeclampsia and preterm
delivery in SLE pregnancies.
Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 129 deliveries of 110 patients with
SLE delivered at a single institution (2000–2017). HCQ exposure and preeclampsia,
along with other clinical data, were extracted from chart review. Crude and multivariable-adjusted
logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results A total of 41% were exposed to HCQ, of whom 13.5% were complicated by preeclampsia
versus 26.3% unexposed to HCQ (adjusted OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.2–1.4). The difference
was pronounced for first pregnancies (7 vs. 44%), but power was limited. The difference
in preterm deliveries was less pronounced comparing HCQ-exposed pregnancies with HCQ-unexposed
pregnancies (34 vs. 40.8%; OR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.3–1.5).
Conclusion Pregnant SLE patients trended toward less preeclampsia and preterm delivery when
treated with HCQ. Future larger studies are needed to increase the statistical power,
account for additional potential confounders, and more fully account for parity.
Keywords
lupus - pregnancy - preeclampsia - preterm - hydroxychloroquine