title: Anticardiolipin antibodies and lupus anticoagulants among women undergoing in vitro fertilization in Jamaica.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) on the outcome of the in vitro ferlitization (IVF) cycles and to determine the prevalence of these antibodies in infertile women seeking IVF in Jamaica.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study was performed to determine if screening patients for aCL and LA had any significant impact on the outcome of the IVF process. Each patients hospital record, between March 2000 and March 2010, was collected and the relevant data extracted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of aCL in this cohort of Jamaican women was moderate/high positive 3.88%, low positive 0.68% and those with negative aCL results 95.4%. The prevalence of women who were LA positive was 4.1% and 0.9% of the women were positive for both LA and aCL. Of the patients who were LA and/or aCL positive, eight out of 30 patients (26.7%) had a positive pregnancy test in comparison to 61 out of 181 patients (33.7%) who were LA and/or aCL negative (p = 0.5787).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of positive aCL and/or LA in infertile women seeking IVF in Jamaica is 7.76%. The presence of these antibodies did not affect the pregnancy rate of these women nor did it demonstrate an increased risk for IVF cycle cancellation or ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Screening women undergoing IVF for these antibodies is not justified.
authors.affiliation: Hugh Wynter Fertility Management Unit, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies. ved111@hotmail.com
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: DaCosta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wynter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harriott
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frederick-Johnston
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frederick
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pottinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood*; D007563:Jamaica; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor