Neonatal lupus syndrome: the role of maternal SS: a [RO] and SS-B [LA] antibodies: a case report

A patient who developed systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] five years after she gave birth to a daughter with congenital heart block, is presented. She was clinically normal at the time of that delivery. Her immunological investigations revealed antibodies against SS-A [Ro] and SS-B [La] antigens. The aspects of latency until the development of clinical SLE, the role of such maternal antibodies in the development of fetal congenital heart block and the possibility of its prevention, using Dexamethasone and plasmapheresis during pregnancy are discussed