title: Autoantibodies and prediction of reproductive failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine which autoantibodies are associated with reproductive failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera from 269 patients with autoimmune disease and/or reproductive failure were analyzed for anti-phospholipid (aPL), anti-annexin-V, anti-lactoferrin, anti-thyroglobulin, anti-thyroid peroxidase, anti-prothrombin, anti-nuclear, and anti-saccharomycetes cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA), by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients were classified as: recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), infertility, and autoimmune diseases. The results were compared with those of 120 healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In autoimmune diseases, the prevalence of anti-prothrombin, anti-annexin, anti-phospholipid and anti-nuclear antibodies was significantly higher than in the control group, OR 11.0 [CI, 3.5-35.2], 33 [CI, 7.2-174.2], 13 [CI, 1.4-309.7], and 16.1 [CI 2.4-122], respectively. In infertility, the antibodies with significantly higher levels than controls were: aPL OR, 5.11 [CI 1.2-25.4], and anti-prothrombin antibodies, OR, 5.15 [CI, 2.1-12.7]. In RPL, ASCA, anti-prothrombin and aPL were more prevalent than in controls, OR 3.9 [CI, 1.5-10.6], 5.4 [CI, 2.4-12.5] and 4.8[CI, 1.2-22.2] for each antibody, respectively. Anti-prothrombin antibodies and aPL were more significantly associated with late pregnancy losses than early losses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASCA antibodies have not previously been described in RPL. Nor are anti-prothrombin antibodies usually assessed in infertility or RPL. If these results are confirmed in further studies, these antibodies might be assessed routinely in reproductive failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine B, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. shoenfel@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
authors.forename: Howard J A
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Carp
authors.forename: Vered
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Miri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.forename: Ricard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cervera
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balasch
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tincani
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faden
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lojacono
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doria
authors.forename: Emiliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Konova
authors.forename: Per Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Meroni
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies