Maternal Interleukin-17 and disease activity influence pregnancy outcomes in women with psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis

OBJECTIVE: We aimed in this study to evaluate the impact of maternal interleukin -17A and the activity of the illness on pregnancy outcomes in Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. METHODS: This prospective cohort research was carried out on 48 Psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis pregnant women attending the inpatient and outpatient clinics of the Rheumatology & Rehabilitation and Obstetrics & Gynecology Departments, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University Hospitals in Egypt and 30 apparently healthy age- and sex-matched pregnant women between January 1,2018, and December 31, 2019. RESULTS: The study group patients had a higher risk of preterm labour (32–36 weeks gestation) (aRR 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). There was significant difference between the control group and the study groups regarding the level of IL-17A. CONCLUSION: Many females with PsA and AS have uninhibited pregnancy with regard to adverse events, but in comparison with normal pregnancies particularly with high IL-17A during the third trimester we noticed a growing risk of preterm labour, oligohydramnios and cesarean section. Further studies are needed to evaluate high maternal IL-17A levels and fetal outcomes.