I am 32 years old, have SLE, an auto-immune-thyreoiditis (hashimoto) and would like to have children.
In 1989 it was diagnosed that I have a mesangioproliperatife glomeronephritis with a proteinuria (2 g/day), I had high fever, pain in all joints and thrombosis in my left arm.
In 1991 I became pregnant but had a miscarriage in the 21st week because of thrombosis in the placenta. SLE was diagnosed with renal, pulmonary and possibly cerebral manifestations and high concentrations especially of cardiolipin antibodies. Immunserology: ANA (1:80),pos. ss-DNS-AK (1:80) and Cardiolipin-AK (igG 1235 E/ml, IgM 543 E/ml).
Immune-suppressive treatment was:
- Endoxan from Dec. 91 - May 93: 100 - 50 mg/day; cummul. dosis appr.35g
- Cortison from Dec. 91 - summer 93: 5 mg/day
- Aspirin from Dec. 91 - 1995: 500 mg/day
Due to the treatment I recovered significantly. However my menstrual cycles stopped during the treatment and has not come back yet. During 1994 my estrogene concentrations fluctuated around 120 pg/ml.
In 1995 I fell ill again, now with an autoimmune thyreoiditis (hashimoto). At the same time my estrogene concentrations fell down very low
(<10 pg/ml). The thyreoid antibodies were very high: thyreoidale antibodies: 1:6.400, microsomale antibodies: 1:>1.000.000.
My SLE is now in a stable remission. Only the cardiolipin antibodies are still slightly raised. I substitute thyroxin (100 g/day) and feel fine.
However I still do not have my cycle. My doctor of immunology suspects that this is due to high dosis of cyclophosphamid I was treated with. My gynaecologist believes this could also have been caused by the thyreoid antibodies. My FHS concentrations at the moment are high and my estrogenes lay around 30 pg/ml. Of the thyreoid antibodies only the microsomale ones have a somewhat raised concentration.
In a sonography this summer the growth of a follicle was observed but no ovulation resulted.
Because my husband and I would very much like to have children, we are looking for somebody that have experience with this constellation and give us some advice.
Editor's Note
The lady in question lives in Germany and asked me if I could give her addresses of lupus patients who have the same constellation. We would appreciate if the national lupus organisations could publish this report in their relevant newsletters. Possibly there is someone who can help this lady. You can write in German or in English either to the address of the editor -see page 2 of this newsletter- or to the following E-Mail address:
zimen@t-online.de
Thank you.
E. L. E. F.
European Lupus Erythematosus Federation