Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38876981›Full record

ArticleRheumatology (Oxford, England)2025

Plasma interferon-alpha protein levels during pregnancy are associated with lower birth weight in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Marit Stockfelt, Agnes Torell, Iva Gunnarsson, Elisabet Svenungsson, Agneta Zickert, Maria Majcuk Sennström, Estelle Trysberg, Anders A Bengtsson, Andreas Jönsen, Helena Strevens and 11 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Observational
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Marit StockfeltDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-4438-4849
Agnes TorellDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Iva GunnarssonDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Elisabet SvenungssonDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-3396-3244
Agneta ZickertDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Maria Majcuk SennströmDivision for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Estelle TrysbergDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Anders A BengtssonDepartment of Clinical Sciences Lund, Rheumatology, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Andreas JönsenDepartment of Clinical Sciences Lund, Rheumatology, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Helena StrevensDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Christopher SjöwallDivision of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0900-2048
Muna SalehDivision of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Sofia PihlDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
Dag LeonardDepartment of Medical Sciences, Rheumatology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Lars RönnblomDepartment of Medical Sciences, Rheumatology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Tansim AkhterDepartment of Women's and Children's Health, Section of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Kaj BlennowDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
Henrik ZetterbergDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-3930-4354
Bo JacobssonDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Anna-Carin LundellDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Anna RudinDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Funding

ALF #ALFGBG-970938Cornell FoundationEuropean Union's Horizon Europe #101053962Gustafsson FoundationIrisstipendietKing Gustav V's 80-year FoundationRune and Ulla Amlöv, Frimurare BarnhusdirektionenSwedish Research Council for Medicine and Health #2019-01035Swedish Rheumatism AssociationSwedish Society of Medicine
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAdverse pregnancy outcomes are more common in women with SLE compared with healthy women, but we lack prognostic biomarkers. Plasma IFN-α protein levels are elevated in a subgroup of pregnant women with SLE, but whether this is associated with pregnancy outcomes is unknown. We investigated the relationship between IFN-α, adverse pregnancy outcomes and the presence of autoantibodies in SLE pregnancy.

methodsWe followed 76 women with SLE prospectively. Protein levels of IFN-α were quantified in plasma collected in the second and third trimester with single-molecule array. Positivity for ANA and aPL antibodies was assessed during late pregnancy with multiplexed bead assay. Clinical outcomes included the adverse pregnancy outcomes small for gestational age (SGA), preterm birth and preeclampsia.

resultsDuring SLE pregnancy, women with SGA infants compared with those without had higher levels of plasma IFN-α protein, and IFN-α positivity was associated with lower birth weight of the infant. Preterm birth was associated with autoantibodies against chromatin. IFN-α protein levels associated positively with autoantibodies against chromatin, Smith/RNP (SmRNP) and RNP, but negatively with aPL antibodies.

conclusionElevated IFN-α protein in plasma of women with SLE is a potential risk factor for lower birth weight of their infants. The association between IFN-α and lower birth weight warrants further investigation regarding the pathophysiological role of IFN-α during SLE pregnancy.

Indexed as

Birth WeightInfant, Low Birth WeightInterferon-alphaLupus Erythematosus, SystemicPregnancy ComplicationsAdultAntibodies, AntinuclearAutoantibodiesBiomarkersFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornInfant, Small for Gestational AgePre-EclampsiaPregnancyPregnancy OutcomeAntibodies, AntinuclearAutoantibodiesBiomarkersInterferon-alphaadverse pregnancy outcomesautoantibodiesIFNαproteinsystemic lupus erythematosus

Identifiers

PMID38876981
PMCPMC11879350

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.