Clinical Analysis of 23 Cases of Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus

ZHANG Shaoli; ZHANG Liming; YANG Jianwei; ZHANG Min; SUN Hongqi; YANG Junmei

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-437X.2026.01.007

Abstract：Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of neonatal lupus erythematosus(NLE),explore the causes,treatment,and prognosis of NLE,and improve understanding of NLE.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 23 children with NLE diagnosed and treated at Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2017 to January 2023.Results There were 23 children with NLE,including 15 males and 8 females,including 1 premature infant.Only one organ was involved in 3 cases(13.0％),and 2 or more organs were involved in 20 cases(87.0％).There were 21 cases(91.3％)of skin damage.There were 16 cases(69.6％)of cardiac damage,including 3 cases of mild tricuspid regurgitation,2 cases of atrial septal defect,and 1 case of Ⅲ degree atrioventricular block.There were 16 cases of liver damage(69.6％),12 cases of blood system damage(52.2％),12 cases of lung damage(52.2％),1 case of nervous system damage(4.3％),1 case of kidney damage(4.3％),and 2 cases of digestive system damage(8.7％).Among the patients,22 cases were positive for anti nuclear antibodies,21 cases were positive for anti SSA/Ro60 antibodies,16 cases were positive for anti SSA/Ro52 antibodies,15 cases were positive for anti SSB/La antibodies,3 cases were positive for anti dsDNA antibodies,2 cases were positive for anti histone antibodies,and 1 case was positive for anti nRNP antibodies.There were 8 confirmed cases of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)in the mother,5 cases of sicca syndrome(SS),1 case of SLE and SS combined with hyperthyroidism,6 cases of undifferentiated connective tissue disease,1 case of thyroid nodule,and 2 cases not provided or tested.Six patients received intravenous immunoglobulin therapy,six received hormone therapy,and the remaining patients received symptomatic treatment such as liver protection,anti infection,and blood transfusion.One patient experienced a transition from Ⅲ degree atrioventricular block to Ⅱdegree type Ⅰ atrioventricular block,one patient developed dilated and atrophic scars of capillaries,and the rest gradually returned to normal.Conclusion The first and most common clinical manifestation of NLE is rash,which can also be accompanied by varying degrees of damage to the heart,liver,kidneys,lungs,digestive system,blood system,nervous system,etc.Except for heart conduction block,most patients have a good prognosis.