title: Changes in antithrombin activity and platelet counts in the late stage of twin and triplet pregnancies.
abstract: It is possible that women with triplet pregnancies are more likely to exhibit pregnancy-induced antithrombin deficiency, gestational thrombocytopenia, and perinatal elevation in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) than women with twin pregnancies. We retrospectively reviewed changes in antithrombin activity, platelet count, and blood chemistry in 23 twin and seven triplet pregnancies in which the mothers received antenatal care and gave birth in our hospital during 1999 and 2001. Both antithrombin activity and platelet counts gradually decreased until delivery, then promptly increased after delivery in both twin and triplet pregnancies. A significantly larger number of women developed gestational thrombocytopenia of < 100 x 10 (9)/L (43% [three of seven] versus 4.3% [one of 23]; p < 0.01) and pregnancy-induced antithrombin deficiency of < 60% of normal activity (57% [four of seven] versus 17% [four of 23]; p < 0.05) in triplet than in twin pregnancies. Eight women with pregnancy-induced antithrombin deficiency, including three women with gestational thrombocytopenia, were significantly more likely to develop perinatal elevations of AST, lactate dehydrogenase, serum creatinine, fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products, and D-dimer than were those without pregnancy-induced antithrombin deficiency. These findings suggest that women with triplet pregnancies are at an increased risk of the HELLP syndrome and acute fatty liver of pregnancy compared with women with twin pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Soromon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hideto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Shigenori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakuragi
authors.forename: Hisanori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minakami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020152:Antithrombin III Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D014310:Triplets; D014427:Twins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers