Pre-eclampsia is more common in women with active psoriatic arthritis in pregnancy: a population-based study

To investigate the association between peripheral disease activity and pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension, preterm birth and fetal growth in women with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Data from a Norwegian nationwide register (RevNatus) were linked with data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). Cases were singleton births in women with PsA with available disease activity assessment (n=109) included in RevNatus 2010 to 2019. Singleton births registered in MBRN during the same decade served as population controls (n=575 798). Disease activity was assessed by Disease Activity Score based on 28 joints using C reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) in 2nd and 3rd trimester. Active PsA was defined as DAS28-CRP≥2.6 (n=34) and inactive PsA as DAS28-CRP<2.6 (n=75).

Pre-eclampsia was most frequent in women with active PsA (3/34, 8.8%), with a risk difference of 6.1% (95% CI 0.3 to 20.3, p=0.036) compared with population controls (2.6%). Gestational hypertension occurred in 2/34 (5.9%) of women with active PsA, with a risk difference of 4.2% (95% CI 0.0 to 17.4, p=0.065) compared with population controls (1.7%). Pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension occurred in similar proportions in women with inactive PsA (1.3%, p=0.59 and 2.7%, p=0.24, respectively) and population controls. The occurrence of preterm birth and abnormal fetal growth was comparable in cases and population controls.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy occurred more often in women with active, but not inactive PsA. We found no increased risk for preterm birth or abnormal fetal growth in women with PsA.