Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) is a rare condition in which certain antibodies from the mother are passed to the fetus. A new study explored whether genetics may impact NLE risk and did not find an association between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) genetics and risk of NLE development.
A multi-ethnic group of 332 infants, 270 anti-Ro antibody positive mothers (201 of them with a rheumatic disease diagnosis, including SLE and Sjogren’s Syndrome), and 253 mother-infant pairs were studied. Analyses of human leukocyte antigen (HLA, genes that support the immune system)-wide genes in the mother and infant did not reveal genetic factors for NLE or cardiac NLE, which is a serious symptom of NLE that causes a slow heartbeat and is usually detected when the fetus is between 18 and 24 weeks old.
Infants born with NLE may have a skin rash, liver problems, or low blood cell counts, but these symptoms typically disappear completely after six months with no lasting effects. NLE is not considered true lupus. Learn more about neonatal lupus.
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