Autoimmunity and recurrent pregnancy losses.
The relationship between autoimmunity and reproduction has long been recognized. This relationship is bidirectional and includes many diverse issues, but in this review article, we focus on which autoimmune disturbances are the basic cause of recurrent pregnancy losses in patients with autoimmune diseases. The antiphospholipid antibodies seem to be clearly associated with recurrent miscarriage. Although there is no agreement on the mechanisms of recurrent pregnancy losses in patients with these antibodies, vasculopathy of the terminal spiral arteries may be implicated and there is a general consensus to routinely screen for antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with recurrent miscarriage. Well-designed diagnostic studies are needed to estimate the true association between other specific autoantibodies and recurrent miscarriage.
Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Institut Clínic of Medicine and Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine-University of Barcelona, Hospital Clínic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. rcervera@clinic.ub.es
Ricard
R
Cervera
Juan
J
Balasch
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology*; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy
D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid