About this Research Topic
Background
Systemic autoimmune diseases commonly affect female patients during childbearing years. Many patients consider pregnancy and actually achieve successful outcomes, although these diseases might be also associated with a higher risk of fetal and maternal complications and mortality.
It is well known the impact of pregnancy on systemic diseases and several studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of different immune mediators and non-immune actors (such as hormonal changes and microbiome) on pregnancy outcomes, although the physio-pathogenetic mechanisms are yet not fully understood. Moreover, attempts have been made to identify the main determinants and predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes to improve prophylactic treatment strategies.
Treatment for these patients is critical, as it should be able to obtain disease remission before conception and to preserve it during pregnancy and post-partum. The availability of new treatments might open the way to different therapeutic strategies, although the relative efficacy and safety are still being debated. Thus, multidisciplinary efforts are needed to link pre-clinical evidence with clinical practice. In this context, physicians should act synergically with biologists to create valid links from bench to bedside.
Goal
Despite the recent progress in the knowledge and prevention of pregnancy complications in systemic autoimmune diseases, the clinical management in the periconceptional, pregnant and postnatal period in these conditions is still a matter of debate. On this basis, the goal of this Research Topic is to link bench to bedside research on pathogenetic basis and management of pregnancy in systemic autoimmune diseases, with the goal of optimizing the counseling, management, and prophylactic strategies in the periconceptional, gestational and postnatal period in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.
Scope and information for Authors
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, Clinical Trial, Methods, and Perspective articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following subtopics related to pregnancy in systemic autoimmune diseases:
• Pharmacological approaches during conception, pregnancy, and breastfeeding in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Contraception in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Conceptional counseling in couples with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Risk assessment and stratification in conceiving/pregnant women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Pregnancy and different outcomes in systemic autoimmune diseases.
• The effect of physiologic mechanisms of pregnancy in systemic autoimmune diseases (focusing on different pathways such as complement system, different interleukins pathways, among others).
• The role of the microbiome during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Pathogenetic mechanisms of pregnancy complications in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Assisted/in vitro fertilization in women with systemic autoimmune diseases and assessment of fertility.
• Perinatal outcomes and complications in the offspring.
• Vaccination during pregnancy in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Impact of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy and breastfeeding in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
Systemic autoimmune diseases commonly affect female patients during childbearing years. Many patients consider pregnancy and actually achieve successful outcomes, although these diseases might be also associated with a higher risk of fetal and maternal complications and mortality.
It is well known the impact of pregnancy on systemic diseases and several studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of different immune mediators and non-immune actors (such as hormonal changes and microbiome) on pregnancy outcomes, although the physio-pathogenetic mechanisms are yet not fully understood. Moreover, attempts have been made to identify the main determinants and predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes to improve prophylactic treatment strategies.
Treatment for these patients is critical, as it should be able to obtain disease remission before conception and to preserve it during pregnancy and post-partum. The availability of new treatments might open the way to different therapeutic strategies, although the relative efficacy and safety are still being debated. Thus, multidisciplinary efforts are needed to link pre-clinical evidence with clinical practice. In this context, physicians should act synergically with biologists to create valid links from bench to bedside.
Goal
Despite the recent progress in the knowledge and prevention of pregnancy complications in systemic autoimmune diseases, the clinical management in the periconceptional, pregnant and postnatal period in these conditions is still a matter of debate. On this basis, the goal of this Research Topic is to link bench to bedside research on pathogenetic basis and management of pregnancy in systemic autoimmune diseases, with the goal of optimizing the counseling, management, and prophylactic strategies in the periconceptional, gestational and postnatal period in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.
Scope and information for Authors
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, Clinical Trial, Methods, and Perspective articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following subtopics related to pregnancy in systemic autoimmune diseases:
• Pharmacological approaches during conception, pregnancy, and breastfeeding in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Contraception in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Conceptional counseling in couples with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Risk assessment and stratification in conceiving/pregnant women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Pregnancy and different outcomes in systemic autoimmune diseases.
• The effect of physiologic mechanisms of pregnancy in systemic autoimmune diseases (focusing on different pathways such as complement system, different interleukins pathways, among others).
• The role of the microbiome during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Pathogenetic mechanisms of pregnancy complications in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Assisted/in vitro fertilization in women with systemic autoimmune diseases and assessment of fertility.
• Perinatal outcomes and complications in the offspring.
• Vaccination during pregnancy in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
• Impact of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy and breastfeeding in women with systemic autoimmune diseases.
Keywords: Systemic autoimmune diseases, Pregancy, Breastfeeding, Bench to bedside, In vitro fertilization, COVID-19
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
