title: Frequency of hereditary thrombophilia in women with recurrent pregnancy loss in Northern Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hereditary thrombophilia (HT) screening is performed as routine work-up of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) in Pakistan. In Northern Pakistan the prevalence of HT is not known. HT is not detected in the majority of RPL cases, especially in patients with ≤ 3 pregnancy losses (PL). The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of HT in women with RPL, and to find the prevalence of HT in patients with ≤ 3 PL and > 3 PL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lupus-anticoagulant-negative patients with unexplained RPL were screened for protein C, protein S, antithrombin, and factor V Leiden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 315 patients with RPL were screened and 13 (4%) had evidence of HT. Protein C and protein S deficiency were detected in 6/140 (4.3%) women with > 3 PL and in 2/175 (1.1%) women with ≤ 3 PL. Antithrombin deficiency was detected in 2/140 (0.75%) women with > 3 PL and in no patients with ≤ 3 PL. Factor V Leiden was detected in 3/26 (12%) women with > 3 PL and in no patients with ≤ 3 PL. The prevalence of HT in patients with >3 PL was significantly higher than in patients with ≤ 3 PL (P = 0.002). We detected a strong association between HT and >3 PL (odds ratio 7.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.60-33.85) as compared to ≤ 3 PL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HT was detected in 4% of patients with RPL. The prevalence of HT in patients with > 3 PL is significantly higher than in patients with ≤ 3 PL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nadir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Farhat Abbas
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: Saleem Ahmed
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Pakistan; hereditary thrombophilia; recurrent pregnancy loss