Pregnancy-associated Immune and Autoimmune Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Pregnancy-associated immune and autoimmune diseases are a topic of multidisciplinary interest. These maternal diseases may selectively affect women in their reproductive years, and conversely, pregnancy may affect the expression and outcomes of these particular diseases. Common immune diseases associated with pregnancy are Crohn’s disease and asthma. Common autoimmune rheumatic diseases include systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögren syndrome, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), systemic sclerosis, and arteritis. Psoriasis, pemphigoid gestationis, and autoimmune progesterone dermatitis are skin disorders with genetic predisposition and immunologic mechanisms found in women of reproductive age.
Autoantibodies have been described in gestational diabetes, including islet cell antibodies (ICA), antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADab), and antibodies to tyrosine phosphatase-like islet antigen (IA-2ab). Grave’s disease may determine neonatal hyperthyroidism due to the transplacental transfer of maternal stimulatory anti-TSH receptor antibodies. There is an increased interest in the literature for explanation of mechanisms, clinical trials, case reports, and case series about pregnancy outcomes in women with immune or autoimmune diseases.
Pregnancy is characterized by the shift toTh2 immunity and fetal immune tolerance, while the increase of Th1-mediated immune responses characterizes the postpartum period through elevated IL-2, IFN, and TNF-alpha levels. Th1 and Th17-type autoimmune disorders could be improved when there is a rise in Th2-type cytokines in pregnancy. On the other hand, Th2-type autoimmune disorders (systemic lupus erythematous) could worsen in pregnancy when Th2-type cytokines increase.
This Special Issue of Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology aims to increase our understanding of the mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatments of pregnancy-associated immune and autoimmune diseases, the impact of pregnancy on such diseases, and the influence of immunity and autoimmunity on pregnancy development. Specific fetal monitoring and particular materno-fetal complications may be included. Before deciding on therapies to be administered during pregnancy (corticotherapy, biological therapies, tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor), their relative pros and cons as well as safety and effectiveness must be demonstrated.
Submissions of original, unpublished studies are welcome, including observational and interventional studies and RCTs and reviews, with an emphasis on relevant clinical questions and quantitative syntheses (meta-analyses) of pooled data. Authors are welcome to contact the Editorial Team in advance if they require any assistance in preparing their manuscript.

Dr. Anca Angela Simionescu

Guest Editor

Manuscripts should be submitted via our online editorial system at https://imr.propub.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to start your submission. Manuscripts can be submitted now or up until the deadline. All papers will go through peer-review process. Accepted papers will be published in the journal (as soon as accepted) and meanwhile listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, reviews as well as short communications are preferred. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office to announce on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts will be thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. Please visit the Instruction for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) in this open access journal is 1500 USD. Submitted manuscripts should be well formatted in good English.