Influence of antiphospholipid antibodies on pregnancy outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.
OBJECTIVE
Antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) are thought to be involved in recurrent pregnancy loss. Therefore, we investigated the impact of APA on pregnancy outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).


METHODS
Blood samples taken from 54 Korean women referred for IVF were tested for the presence of APA, anticardiolipin antibody IgG and IgM and lupus anticoagulant. The standard gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist long protocol was used for ovarian stimulation.


RESULTS
Nine patients (16.7%) were positive and 45 (83.3%) were negative for APA. There were no significant differences between the two groups in clinical characteristics such as age, infertility duration, and response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. However, pregnancy outcome significantly differed between the two groups (p < 0.05). The APA positive group and APA negative group had abortion rates of 62.5% and 20.0%, respectively and delivery rates of 37.5% and 80.0%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of APA in women undergoing IVF-ET was associated with a poor pregnancy outcome.
Lee
Sa-Ra
SR
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Park
Eun-Joo
EJ
Kim
Sung-Hoon
SH
Chae
Heedong
H
Kim
Chung-Hoon
CH
Kang
Byung-Moon
BM
D000328:Adult; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000276:immunology*; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome
D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid