title: Primary anti-phospholipid syndrome: any role for serum complement levels in predicting pregnancy complications?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between serum complement levels (C3 and C4) and obstetric complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven pregnancies in primary APS (PAPS) patients were compared with 49 pregnancies in patients with UCTD and SS. A group of 175 healthy pregnant women were studied to calculate a normality range for C3 and C4 during pregnancy. Such a range was applied to define hypocomplementaemia in PAPS and UCTD/SS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups of patients (PAPS and UCTD/SS) showed significantly lower levels of C3 and C4 in each trimester as compared with healthy women; conversely, no significant difference was found between PAPS and UCTD/SS. Comparing PAPS pregnancies with and without complications, no difference was found in the prevalence of low C3 or low C4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No association was found between hypocomplementaemia and obstetric complications in PAPS. However, both cases of pre-eclampsia were characterized by low C3 throughout pregnancy. There is evidence that the complement system is a contributor to the mechanisms of aPL-mediated damage, but its predictive role on the final pregnancy outcome does not seem to be of major impact.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Spedali Civili and University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reggia
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ziglioli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andreoli
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bellisai
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iuliano
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerosa
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramoni
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brucato
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galeazzi
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caporali
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Meroni
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tincani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4