ANTIBODIES TO BETA-2-GLYCOPROTEIN-I AND PROTHROMBIN IN HABITUAL ABORTION

Objective: To determine the occurrence of antibodies to beta 2-glycopr otein I (beta 2-GP-I) and prothrombin in women with histories of habit ual abortions when pregnant and nonpregnant. Design: Antibodies to bet a 2-GP-I and prothrombin were measured by ELISA using irradiated polys tyrene plates in 43 women with habitual abortions and 22 healthy contr ols. Setting: Departments I and II of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unive rsity Central Hospital of Helsinki. Patient(s): Twenty-two women of th e habitual abortion patients had never delivered (primary aborters) an d 21 had delivered at least one living child before miscarriage (secon dary aborters). Intervention(s): Venous blood samples were collected b efore and during pregnancy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Immunoglobulin G class antibodies to beta 2-GP-I and prothrombin. Result(s): The second ary aborters showed higher levels of antibodies to prothrombin than th e primary aborters when both pregnant and nonpregnant and also showed higher levels of antiprothrombin antibodies than the controls when pre gnant. No such differences were found in levels of antibodies to beta 2-GP-I. The habitual abortion patients showed a tendency toward higher levels of these autoantibodies when pregnant than when nonpregnant. G estational diabetes was more common among the antibody-positive habitu al abortion patients than among the antibody-negative patients. Conclu sion(s): Increased levels of antiprothrombin antibodies were associate d with secondary abortions. Elevated levels of antibodies to beta 2-GP -I and prothrombin often were found in habitual abortion patients with gestational diabetes.