Role of antiphospholipid antibodies in human reproduction

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) in human reproduction. The investigation included 150 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and a group of 931 women, with the history of recurrent spontaneously miscarried pregnancies of unknown origin, even after a detailed examination in obstetric-gynecological institution. APA were investigated by means of tests to lupus anticoagulant (LA), applying a set of coagulation tests, including two tests with viper's poison, and cardiolipin antibodies (ACL) were determined by a standard immunoenzyme method, where a cardiolipin (Sigma, USA) was used as an antigen. The analysis of obstetric history in women with SLE has shown a considerable increase in frequency of obstetric complications in APA-positive group of patients (p < 0.001). Screening-examination to APA, proved its presence in 254 of the total of 931 women (27%), and a complete evaluation of the positive group enabled the establishing of SLE diagnosis in 13 patients, in accordance with the valid criteria of the disease.