Increased rates of thrombophilia in women with repeated IVF failures.
BACKGROUND
We investigated whether hereditary thrombophilia is more prevalent in women with recurrent IVF-embryo transfer failures.


METHODS
This case-control study was conducted in an academic tertiary care hospital and compared 45 women with a history of four or more failed IVF cycles (group A) with 44 apparently healthy women matched for age and ethnic origin (group B). All participants were tested for inherited thrombophilias: mutations of prothrombin, factor V Leiden and methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and protein C, protein S and antithrombin III deficiencies.


RESULTS
Excluding homozygotic MTHFR, the incidence of thrombophilia in group A, was 26.7% compared with 9.1% in group B (P = 0.003; odds ratio 2.9; 95% confidence interval 1.02-8.4). The incidence of thrombophilia in women with unexplained infertility in group A was 42.9% (9/21), compared with 18.2% in group B (P < 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that inherited thrombophilia may play a role in the aetiology of repeated IVF failures, particularly in the subgroup with unexplained fertility.
Azem
Foad
F
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. azemf@tasmc.health.gov.il
Many
Ariel
A
Ben Ami
Ido
I
Yovel
Israel
I
Amit
Ami
A
Lessing
Joseph B
JB
Kupferminc
Michael J
MJ
D020152:Antithrombin III Deficiency; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D020151:Protein C Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D018455:Protein S Deficiency; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000235:genetics; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D017211:Treatment Failure
C095381:factor V Leiden; D005165:Factor V; D011516:Prothrombin; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)