A recent study led by Tongmin Chang from Cheeloo College of Medicine at Shandong University has identified a causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) in European populations. The research utilized a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the connection between rheumatoid arthritis and various APOs in both European and Asian populations.
In the European cohort, the analysis revealed that rheumatoid arthritis is causally associated with several adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 1.04), preeclampsia (OR, 1.06), fetal growth restriction (OR, 1.08), and preterm delivery (OR, 1.04). Notably, the reverse MR analysis showed no evidence that APOs influence the development of rheumatoid arthritis.
In contrast, the study found no significant association between rheumatoid arthritis and APOs within the East Asian population, and no issues of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy were detected in either cohort.
The authors conclude that their findings underscore a confirmed causal link between rheumatoid arthritis and adverse pregnancy outcomes in European populations. They emphasize the need for enhanced prenatal care and early intervention for pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis to mitigate potential obstetric complications. However, the authors acknowledge the study’s limitations and call for further research to validate these findings and explore their implications across different populations.
