While the relationship between maternal connective tissue diseases and neonatal rashes was described in the 1960s and congenital heart block in the 1970s, the "culprit" antibody reactivity to the SSA/Ro-SSB/La ribonucleoprotein complex was not identified until the 1980s.
Cardiac fibroblast transcriptome analyses support a role for interferogenic, profibrotic, and inflammatory genes in anti-SSA/Ro-associated congenital heart block.
We analyzed occurrence of postnatal DCM among children with high-degree congenital heart block (CHB) and mothers with anti-SSA and/or anti-SSB antibodies.
Role of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in mediating impaired efferocytosis of anti-SSA/Ro-bound apoptotic cardiocytes: Implications in the pathogenesis of congenital heart block.
The 52-kDa SSA/Ro (Ro52) ribonucleoprotein is an antigenic target strongly associated with the autoimmune response in mothers whose children develop neonatal lupus and congenital heart block.
Although a strong clinical association exists between congenital heart block (CHB) and an immune response to SSA/Ro and SSB/La proteins, a causative role of these antibodies in the pathogenesis is just emerging.
To date, there is a universal association of CCHB with maternal antibodies to SSA/Ro-SSB/La ribonucleoproteins, detectable by high ratio monomer:crosslinker SDS-immunoblot.