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The role of antiphospholipid antibodies in reproductive failure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2009

D Ware Branch  and
Harry H Hatasaka
D Ware Branch*
Affiliation:
University of Utah Health Science Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Harry H Hatasaka
Affiliation:
University of Utah Health Science Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
*
University of Utah Health Science Center, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA. Fax: (801)-585-5146.
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Extract

The relationship between antiphospholipid antibodies and the clinical features of placental insufficiency, pre-eclampsia, and fetal loss has emerged as one of the most exciting new observations in obstetrics in the last 15 years. Antiphospholipid syndrome is the only convincing ‘immunologic’ disturbance of pregnancy affecting the fetus other than anti-erythrocyte or antiplatelet alloimmunization disorders, and it is now routine to test patients with fetal loss for the two best characterized antiphospholipid antibodies, lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin. Although there is no proven mechanism for fetal loss, treatment of antiphospholipid antibody-positive mothers during pregnancy with heparin improves pregnancy outcome.

Type
Research Article
Information
Reproductive Medicine Review , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , October 1997 , pp. 133 - 143
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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