title: Antibodies to phospholipids and nuclear antigens in non-pregnant women with unexplained spontaneous recurrent abortions.
abstract: In a collaborative study of 73 non-pregnant Kuwaiti women with unexplained spontaneous recurrent abortion (RSA), 30 control healthy non-pregnant multiparous Kuwaiti women and 20 North American women who received elective abortion(s), autoantibodies to 6 phospholipids and 9 nuclear antigens were measured. Women with recurrent spontaneous abortions demonstrated 3 times higher incidence of antibodies to phospholipids (30.1%) than controls (10% each) (P = 0.029). The incidence of both IgM and IgA class antiphospholipid antibodies were significantly higher than those of controls. The incidence of antibodies to cardiolipin in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions (12.3%) was significantly higher than those of controls (P = 0.035) and incidence of IgM but not IgG anticardiolipin antibody was significantly higher in women with RSAs than in controls (P = 0.053). The incidences of anti-polyinosinic acid (P = 0.035) and anti-histone 1 antibody (P = 0.052) were significantly higher in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions than controls. There was no significant difference in the incidence of autoantibodies between primary and secondary aborters. However, women with a history of second trimester abortions showed a higher incidence of antiphospholipid antibodies than women with first trimester abortions only. Recurrent spontaneous abortion is associated with autoantibodies to phospholipid epitopes including IgA antiphospholipid antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bahar
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Beaman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gilman-Sachs
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007075:Immunoglobulin M