Different antiphospholipid antibody specificities are found in association with early repeated pregnancy loss versus recurrent IVF-failure patients.
OBJECTIVE
Patients having in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) failures show an increased incidence of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies; but controversy exists whether aPL can induce IVF-failure. This study was designed to compare aPL specificities between recurrent IVF-failure patients versus repeated early pregnancy loss (RPL) patients.


METHODS
Anticardiolipin (aCL), lupus anticoagulant (LA), antiphosphatidylserine (aPS), antiphosphatidylethanolamine (aPE), and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were measured in 74 recurrent IVF-ET failure patients and compared with 273 early RPL patients ( < 10 weeks).


RESULTS
An increased incidence of IgG-aPE and ANA was observed for both groups in comparison with controls. Patients with recurrent IVF-ET failure showed a significantly higher prevalence of IgG-aPS (P = 0.02) and IgG-aCL (P = 0.02) when compared with early RPL patients or controls.


CONCLUSIONS
IgG-aPS and IgG-aCL may be responsible for some IVF-failures. Additional studies are needed to clarify the pathogenic role of IgG-aPS and IgG-aCL on IVF-ET failure.
Matsubayashi
H
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Growth and Reproductive Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan. hide-m@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
Sugi
T
T
Arai
T
T
Kondo
A
A
Suzuki
T
T
Izumi
S
S
McIntyre
J A
JA
Makino
T
T
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid