PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES INPREGNANCIES COMPLICATED BY PARVOVIRUS B19 INFECTION

Anticardiolipin antibodies were measured in 60 pregnant women with acu te parvovirus B19 infection. Test results for eight (13.3 per cent) wo men were positive for anticardiolipin antibody. Six of these eight wom en became negative later, yielding a prevalence of anticardiolipin ant ibodies of 3.3 per cent (2/60) 6 months after acute parvovirus B19 inf ection. Anticardiolipin antibody positivity was not associated with an increased risk of abortion, fetal death, or maternal complications. T his study suggests that there is an elevated frequency of anticardioli pin antibodies in pregnant women with acute parvovirus B19, probably r epresenting an epiphenomenon. However, this is not associated with an adverse maternal or perinatal outcome.