title: Pregnancy loss with phospholipid antibodies: improved outcome with aspirin containing treatment.
abstract: The obstetric outcome in 37 patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs) is described. The APAs were measured by the lupus anticoagulant assay and/or more recently anticardiolipin antibodies. There were 15 patients with SLE who without therapy had 51/58 pregnancy failures, either abortion or fetal death in utero, a failure rate of 88%. Likewise, 22 patients without definite SLE lost 69/87 pregnancies, a failure rate of 79%. After treatment the pregnancy wastage rate was 55% and 25% in the 2 groups respectively. When treatment regimens used were examined in detail the improvement with therapy was most clearly evident in the group who received low dose aspirin (75-150 mg) in association with immunosuppression. This improvement was most apparent in the patients without definite SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gatenby
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Shearman
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D010743:Phospholipids; D001241:Aspirin