Post

New research · Rheumatology
Journal of internal medicine · 16h
Cohort studyJournal of internal medicine · 2026

Placental malperfusion and angiogenesis-related proteins are associated with small-for-gestational-age in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Marit Stockfelt, Henri Puttonen, Ing-Marie Fyhr … Anna Rudin
Read paper
RheumatologyCohort study

Placental maternal vascular malperfusion lesions were more common in lupus pregnancies with growth-restricted infants

Placental malperfusion and angiogenesis-related proteins are associated with small-for-gestational-age in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Marit Stockfelt et al. · Journal of internal medicine · 2026
Background

Although systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pregnancy frequently results in small for gestational age (SGA) infants, the understanding of underlying mechanisms is limited.

Purpose

We aimed to identify specific histological patterns of placental injury in SGA in SLE and to explore whether an altered balance of angiogenesis-related proteins precedes this outcome.

Methods

We prospectively followed 83 SLE and 67 control pregnancies.

n = 67 control
Results

placental blood-flow (vascular malperfusion) damage was far more common in these growth-restricted pregnancies

80%
SLE + SGA
30%
Controls
More results

SLE patients remain at risk of having an SGA infant, and their placentas and infants had lower weight compared to controls.

Women with maternal vascular malperfusion gave birth to infants with lower birth weight compared to women without these lesions.

More results

The ratio of sFlt-1:PlGF in the third trimester was elevated in women with SLE with an SGA infant.

“
Conclusion · 1 of 2

In a prospective cohort of well-controlled SLE patients with low disease activity delivering mostly at term, SGA and small placentas remain common.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

The increased prevalence of placental malperfusion lesions together with an altered balance of pro- and anti-angiogenic proteins suggests that the role of vascular and angiogenesis-related factors should be further explored in relation to SGA in SLE pregnancy.

Read paper
0 comments

No comments yet. Be the first.

Related papers

LatestFoundational
Study
AUC = 0.847
Good accuracy separating lupus patients from healthy people (higher AUC = better)
AI / Informatics
94.7%
almost every patient surveyed checks social media every day
Cohort Study
0.633
arthritis patients taking JAK inhibitor drugs were less likely to develop new dry eye
Review
73%
patient-reported symptoms were used more often to define ongoing symptoms
Study
80% (4/5)
Four out of five patients with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus achieved remission.
Case-control
4.82%
DNA protective caps' length explained this percentage of lead's link to rheumatoid arthritis
Cohort Study
HR 2.76 (95% CI: 1.25-6.10)
malnutrition is associated with a higher rate of death in people with systemic sclerosis
Cohort Study
2.8-fold
Current glucocorticoid dose contributes 2.8-fold more to all neuropsychiatric damage risk.