Polycystic ovary syndrome and risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus, and preeclampsia: a Bayesian Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND

Observational studies have shown an increased incidence of pregnancy complications in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but some controversy remains.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the causal association of polycystic ovary syndrome with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and preeclampsia (PEC) using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).

METHODS

GWSA data from European populations were collected and causal analyses of PCOS (N = 113238) with PIH (N = 123579/118990), GDM (N = 123579/116363), and PEC (N = 123579/118291) were performed using mainly inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, along with Bayesian analysis to improve the accuracy of the results. Subsequently, heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy test and MR Steiger test were performed to assess the robustness of the results and the strength of causality. Finally, a brief bioinformatics analysis was performed.

RESULTS

There was a positive causal association between PCOS and PIH, whereas there was no causal association with PEC and GDM, and no heterogeneity or pleiotropy was detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates for the first time a causal association between PCOS and PIH and provides relevant mutation loci for subsequent studies from a genetic perspective.