Subclinical autoimmunity in recurrent aborters

Thirty-four women with habitual abortion (HA) were evaluated for the presence of lupus-associated autoantibodies, antisperm antibodies, and evidence of complement abnormalities. A control group of women who had only successful pregnancy outcomes also was studied. Fourteen HA women had anatomic, genetic, or hormonal causes for their pregnancy losses ("explained losses"), and 20 had no apparent causative factors ("unexplained losses"). Fifty percent of HA women with unexplained losses and 34% of women with explained losses had at least one abnormal result, but multiple autoimmune abnormalities were found only in women with unexplained losses. Anticardiolipin antibodies were found most commonly (30% of all HA women and 8% of controls). Two clinically normal HA women had multiple autoantibodies detected. This study suggests that recurrent pregnancy loss may be a marker for subclinical autoimmune disease.