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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
07:51
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
[Pregnancy and antiphospholipid antibodies]
Véronique Le Guern1, François Goffinet
1Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Cochin, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France. veronique.le-guern@cch.aphp.fr
Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983)
|October 3, 2008
Summary
Antiphospholipid syndrome can cause pregnancy loss, but treatment with heparin and aspirin improves success rates. Further research is needed to confirm the role of complement activation in human cases.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Immunology
- Reproductive Medicine
Context:
- Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a significant cause of recurrent pregnancy loss.
- Pregnancy in women with APS carries a high risk of complications like preeclampsia and preterm delivery.
- Current treatments, primarily heparin and low-dose aspirin, improve pregnancy outcomes but do not guarantee success.
Purpose:
- To summarize the current understanding of antiphospholipid syndrome in pregnancy.
- To highlight the established efficacy of heparin and low-dose aspirin therapy.
- To introduce the emerging role of complement activation in APS-related pregnancy loss.
Summary:
- Antiphospholipid syndrome is a treatable cause of pregnancy loss, with successful pregnancy rates exceeding 70% with appropriate management.
- Heparin combined with low-dose aspirin is a widely accepted and beneficial treatment strategy.
- Recent research in murine models suggests complement activation plays a role in antiphospholipid pregnancy loss, warranting human studies.
Impact:
- Improved management strategies for women with antiphospholipid syndrome aiming for successful pregnancies.
- Potential for new therapeutic targets, such as complement inhibitors, for refractory cases.
- Enhanced understanding of the pathophysiology of antiphospholipid syndrome may lead to better diagnostic and prognostic tools.
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