Endometriosis is associated with a decreased risk of pre-eclampsia
Open Access
- 23 April 2007
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Human Reproduction
- Vol. 22 (6), 1725-1729
- https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dem072
Abstract
We postulated that impaired endometrial differentiation in women with pelvic endometriosis predisposes for pre-eclampsia. A retrospective case–control study set at the University of Ghent IVF centre. The incidence of pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) following the clinical and/or laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis-associated infertility (case group; n = 245 pregnancies) was compared with the incidence of these obstetric complications in pregnancies following treatment for male-factor infertility (control group; n = 274 pregnancies). Pregnancy data were obtained by searching electronic databases and postal questionnaires. The case and control groups were matched for age, parity and multiple pregnancies. The incidence of pre-eclampsia was significantly lower in the case group (0.8%) when compared with control group (5.8%) (P = 0.002; odds ratio (OR) = 7.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.7–33.3). Analysis of obstetric outcome in the subgroup of patients with laparoscopic data confirmed the lower risk of pre-eclampsia in the case (1.2%) versus control (7.4%) groups (P = 0.032; OR = 6.6, 95% CI: 1.2–37). PIH occurred in 3.5% and 8.7% of case and control pregnancies, respectively (P = 0.018; OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2–6.0). The odds of developing pre-eclampsia were 5.67 times higher in the control group than in pregnancies following endometriosis-associated infertility. In multiple pregnancies, the odds of developing pre-eclampsia increased 1.93 times per additional child, with or without endometriosis. We found no evidence that endometriosis predisposes for pre-eclampsia. Instead, the risk of hypertensive disorder in pregnancy is significantly reduced in women with endometriosis-associated infertility.Keywords
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