title: The use of combined heparin/aspirin and immunoglobulin G therapy in the treatment of in vitro fertilization patients with antithyroid antibodies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effect of heparin/aspirin therapy alone vs. heparin/aspirin in combination with intravenous immuno-globulin (IVIg) immunotherapy on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome of patients who test positive for antithyroid antibodies (ATAs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two women younger than 40 years of age whose infertility was related exclusively to female causes were evaluated. All tested positive for organ-specific antithyroid antibodies (antimicrosomal and/or antithyroglobulin antibodies), but negative for antiphospholipid antibodies. Thirty-seven of these women (group A) received H/A alone, whereas 45 (group B) received heparin/aspirin in combination with IVIg.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten (27%) of women in group A and 23 (51%) of women in group B achieved live births after completion of a single IVF/embryo transfer cycle (P = 0.027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that IVIg therapy significantly improves IVF success rates in ATA+ women.
authors.affiliation: Pacific Fertility Medical Centers of California, Los Angeles 90024, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maassarani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zouves
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feinman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Matzner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ching
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D006493:Heparin; D001241:Aspirin