Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus

Excerpt

Neonatal lupus erythematosus belongs to a group of medical conditions in which immunoglobulin G is transported across the placenta to the fetal circulation and directed against auto-antigens causing clinical manifestations in the neonate, other examples within this group are antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, Graves-Basedow disease, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, myasthenia gravis, Sjogren syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and neonatal autoimmune blistering disease. Neonatal lupus erythematosus was first described by Bridge and Foley in 1954 after they observed the transmission of maternal lupus erythematosus factor to newborn infants. The same year, a case of lupus rash in a 6-week old infant was reported, a product of a mother that months later was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. In 1957, a case of an infant with congenital heart disease, whom mother had systemic lupus erythematosus was disclosed. Years later after these first cases were reported, infants with neonatal lupus erythematosus were associated with transient cytopenia and abnormal elevation of aminotransferase.