title: Risk factors for pregnancy failure in patients with anti-phospholipid syndrome treated with conventional therapies: a multicentre, case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the risk factors associated with pregnancy failure in patients with APS treated with conventional therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicentre, case-control study was conducted to compare APS patients with successful and unsuccessful pregnancy outcomes. We retrospectively considered 410 pregnancies of women diagnosed with primary APS. The study focused on 57 unsuccessful pregnancies (considered the study population) and 57 successful pregnancies (considered the control population) matched for age and therapy. All the patients had been treated with conventional protocol treatments including low-dose aspirin and/or heparin. The clinical and laboratory features of the two groups of women diagnosed with APS were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The independent risk factors for pregnancy failure were: (i) the presence of SLE or other autoimmune diseases [odds ratio (OR) 6.0; 95% CI 1.7, 20.8; P = 0.01]; (ii) history of both thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity (OR 12.1; 95% CI 1.3, 115.3; P = 0.03); and (iii) triple [Immunoglobulin (Ig) G/IgM aCLs plus IgG/IgM anti-β(2) glycoprotein I antibodies plus LA] aPL positivity (OR 4.1; 95% CI 1.0, 16.7; P = 0.05). APS patients diagnosed on the basis of a single positive test and/or history of pregnancy morbidity alone were generally found to have successful pregnancies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It would seem from these findings that the risk of pregnancy failure in APS women planning to conceive can be stratified on the basis of some specific clinical and laboratory features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Rheumatology Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. amelia.ruffatti@unipd.it
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruffatti
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tonello
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Visentin
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bontadi
authors.forename: Ariela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoxha
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Carolis
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nuzzo
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rovere-Querini
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Canti
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Gorana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mitic
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bertero
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pengo
authors.forename: Marie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Boffa
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tincani
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D001241:Aspirin