Multiple autoantibodies associated with autoimmune reproductive failure

Autoimmune factors are involved in some of the cases of reproductive failure. The aim of this paper is to discuss the association between autoantibodies and reproductive failure.

Literature review of autoantibodies associated with reproductive failure.

Several autoantibodies were found in association with such clinical manifestations, mainly in patients having systemic lupus erythematosus or the antiphospholipid syndrome. These autoantibodies include "classical" antiphospholipid antibodies such as anticardiolipin, anti-beta2-glycoprotein-I, antiphosphatidylserine, and antiphosphatidylethanolamine. There are also some "nonclassical" antiphospholipid antibodies directed to prothrombin, thromboplastin, or mitochondrial antibodies of M5 type, which were also found in patients with reproductive failure. Moreover, animal models as well as some human studies support a role for other autoantibodies in these clinical manifestations including antihyroglobulin, antilaminin-1, anti-corpus luteum, antiprolactin, anti-poly(ADP-ribose), and lymphocytotoxic antibodies.

Even though there is not enough data currently to support a firm association between some of these autoantibodies and reproductive failure, future studies are likely to help us determine and expand the number of autoantibodies screened in these patients.