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Antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with preeclampsia
J Y Allen1, C Tapia-Santiago, W H Kutteh
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA.
Problem:
To determine the incidence of anticardiolipin and antiphosphatidylserine antibodies in women with preeclampsia.
Methods:
Sera from 100 women with preeclampsia and 100 normotensive pregnant women in the third trimester were assayed for anticardiolipin and antiphosphatidylserine antibodies.
Results:
Antiphosphatidylserine antibodies were positive for IgM in 1 patient (1%) and for IgG in 4 patients (4%). IgM antibodies to cardiolipin were positive in two patients (2%) while IgG antibodies to cardiolipin were positive in nine patients (9%). Only 3% of the control women were positive for antiphospholipid antibodies. None of the patients or controls had positive levels of IgA anticardiolipin or antiphosphatidylserine antibodies.
Conclusions:
Elevated levels of IgG or IgM antibodies to cardiolipin and phosphatidylserine were detected in 11/100 (11%) of women diagnosed with preeclampsia in the third trimester compared to only 3/100 (3%) positive in controls (P < or = 0.05). These findings suggest that antiphospholipid antibodies may play a pathogenic role in some women with preeclampsia.