Use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs during pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy that can compromise the health of pregnant women and neonates1. Studies have consistently shown that women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk for preeclampsia; SLE is associated with a 2 to 6-fold increase in risk and RA is associated with a 1.4 to 2-fold increase in risk2–6. Limited data exist on the association of other autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease, and preeclampsia7–8. Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARD) are a part of standard treatments for autoimmune disease, and their use during pregnancy may be necessary to avoid flares of disease that may compromise the health of the expectant mother and fetus9–10. It is possible that DMARDs may decrease the risk of preeclampsia by diminishing the maternal immune response to the placenta, which may play a role in the development of preeclampsia11. However, it is critical to account for underlying autoimmune disease when assessing the relation between DMARD use and preeclampsia given the well-reported association between various autoimmune diseases and preeclampsia2–6. Corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly prescribed for pregnant women with autoimmune disease9–10, 12. Corticosteroids may mitigate the systemic inflammatory response associated with preeclampsia13 and aspirin, a non-selective NSAID, modestly decreases the risk for preeclampsia14. In the study, we first described DMARD, oral corticosteroid, and NSAID use during pregnancy in a population-based cohort. We then assessed the impact of DMARDs, oral corticosteroids and NSAIDs on the risk for preeclampsia adjusting for autoimmune diseases and factors related to autoimmune disease severity.