Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Risk of preterm delivery and early pregnancy hydroxychloroquine use from a Californian lupus cohort
Authors' conclusion
Although periconceptional HCQ-use was not associated with reduced PTD nor appreciably altered gestational age at delivery, we found no increased risks for these specific adverse outcomes.
Study context
- Population
- Singleton pregnancies reaching ≥20 weeks' gestation (2011–2020) among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) aged 18–50, Kaiser Permanente Northern Californiapregnancies in 324 patients
- Participants
- 399 pregnancies
- Exposure
- Early pregnancy hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use vs no HCQ use
- Outcome
- Preterm delivery (PTD) (delivery <37 weeks)
Methodological detailspropensity-score adjusted, propensity scores (PS)-adjusted Poisson regression with robust SEs and Cox regression, stratified by parity
- Propensity-score adjusted
- PS-adjusted Poisson regression with robust SEs and Cox regression
- Stratified by parity
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
PTD, stratified by parity
HCQ vs No HCQPS-adjusted RR (95% CI)
Nulliparous pregnancies
1.08(0.52–2.23)
Multiparous pregnancies
0.88(0.50–1.57)
- Preterm pregnancies overall
- 21%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Time to delivery (gestational weeks)
- PS-adjusted HRs were similar
Analyses stratified by prepregnancy comorbidities and pregnancy corticosteroid use
- Results remained consistent across analyses stratified by potential effect modifiers
Original publication
Risk of preterm delivery and early pregnancy hydroxychloroquine use from a Californian lupus cohort. Lupus Sci Med. Published 29 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →