Women With Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis Are at Increased Risk for Pregnancy Complications

According to a study published in BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth, women with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who are pregnant typically have normal pregnancies, but are at a higher risk for premature birth, oligohydramnios, and caesarean delivery.

Researchers aimed to evaluate maternal IL-17A and disease activity impact on pregnancy outcomes in women with PsA and AS in a prospective cohort research study. A total of 48 pregnant women with PsA and AS and 30 healthy pregnant women attending the inpatient and outpatient clinics of the rheumatology and rehabilitation and obstetrics and gynecology departments at Zagazig University Hospitals in Egypt between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, were included in the study.

Women with PsA and AS had a higher risk of preterm labor (32 to 36 weeks’ gestation) (aRR [absolute risk reduction] 1.80; 95% CI: 0.79–4.17), oligohydramnios (aRR 3.15; 95% CI: 1.26–8.42), caesarean delivery (aRR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.41–2.68), and delivering infants small for gestational age (aRR 7.04; 95% CI: 2.36–12.42). The level of IL-17A between the 2 groups was significantly different.

“In conclusion the majority of [women] with PsA and AS had an uneventful pregnancy with regard to deleterious effects; however, in comparison to normal pregnancies with high levels of IL-17A in [the third] trimester, we found an elevated risk of premature birth, oligohydramnios, and caesarean delivery,” wrote the study authors.

Reference
Girbash EF, Abdelwahab SM, Atef RM, et al. Maternal interleukin-17 and disease activity influence pregnancy outcomes in women with psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. Published online ahead of print January 17, 2023. doi:10.1186/s12884-023-05364-4