title: Incidence of autoantibodies in the infertile population.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of autoantibodies in patients with no term pregnancies. Patients selected included 43 with primary infertility and 110 with a history of pregnancy loss. In the first group the incidence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and IgG and IgM antiphospholipid antibodies (APL) was 37.2% (p < 0.05) and 53.5% (p < 0.05), respectively. In the group of patients with a history of miscarriage, 31.8% (p < 0.05) were positive for ANA and 38.2% (p < 0.05) for APL. Controls were 35 healthy patients with proven fertility and no history of pregnancy loss or autoimmune disease. In this group the incidence of ANA was 5.7% and 11.4% for APL. The high incidence of autoantibodies found in patients with primary infertility might suggest a direct involvement of these antibodies in reproductive failure and consequently in IVF and assisted fertility procedures. The prevalence of ANA and APL has been extensively described in patients with a history of recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL). In this study we observed antibodies even after the first miscarriage. We therefore conclude that patients with a history of reproductive failure should be immunologically evaluated and treated before undergoing assisted fertilization techniques or before a new pregnancy in those cases of RPL.
authors.affiliation: Centro Colombiano de Fertilidad y Esterilidad, Cecolfes, Reproductive Immunology, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cubillos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucena
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lucena
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arango
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quiroga
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lucena
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology*; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D001323:Autoantibodies; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor