Genetically proxied tumour necrosis factor inhibition and pregnancy-related maternal and foetal outcomes in the general population: a Mendelian randomization study.

Objectives: Evidence on the safety of TNF inhibitors (TNFi) for pregnancy-related maternal and foetal outcomes remains limited. While some studies report increased rates of preterm delivery, others have suggested a possible protective role for gestational diabetes. We used population-level data to examine the effect of genetically proxied TNFi on these outcomes. Methods: We proxied TNFi using rs1800693, a splicing variant within the Results: We found no strong association between genetically proxied TNFi and any adverse pregnancy-related outcome, including spontaneous abortion (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% CI: 0.41, 2.81), preterm birth (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.14, 1.60), hyperemesis gravidarum (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.02, 2.57), pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.13, 2.65). Genetically proxied TNFi was associated with lower risk of gestational diabetes (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.05, 0.52). There was no statistical evidence to suggest genetic confounding through linkage disequilibrium. Conclusion: This genetic investigation found no evidence linking TNFi to adverse pregnancy-related outcomes. The suggestive association with a reduced risk of gestational diabetes warrants further research and may support its consideration for at-risk pregnant women.