title: Thyroid autoimmunity and recurrent miscarriage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of antithyroid autoantibodies (ATA) in recurrent miscarriage (RM).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case-control study, a total of 160 women with RM and 100 healthy women were investigated for the presence of serum ATA directed against thyreoglobulin (TG-Ab), thyroid peroxidase (TPO-Ab) and TSH receptor (TSHr-Ab), which were determined by either chemiluminescence or radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antithyroid autoantibodies were detected in 46 (28.75%) women with RM and in 13 (13%) women of the control group (P < 0.05). The frequencies for TG-Ab and TPO-Ab were higher in RM than in control women. Among the women of RM group, 91.3% of ATA+ women were positive also for other autoantibodies. The majority of study women were euthyroid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antithyroid autoantibodies, particularly TG-Ab, are associated with RM and could be an expression of a more general maternal immune system abnormality leading to RM. ATA could have a role in RM irrespective of thyroid hormone status.
authors.affiliation: Section of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Surgical Sciences, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. ticconi@med.uniroma2.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ticconi
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veglia
authors.forename: Adalgisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pietropolli
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piccione
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Simone
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase