DETECTION OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN-A ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES IN CERVICAL-MUCUS FROM IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION PATIENTS AND FERTILE WOMEN

Objective: To identify and quantify antiphospholipid autoantibodies of the immunoglobulin (Ig) A isotype in cervical mucus obtained from IVF patients and fertile controls. Design: The study was performed prospe ctively. Blood and cervical mucus samples were obtained from patients undergoing IVF treatment (n = 27) at the time of expected E(2) peak, b efore administering hCG. Control samples were taken from fertile women (n = 16) around the time of ovulation during a spontaneous nonstimula ted menstrual cycle. Anticardiolipin activity was tested using ELISA. Setting: Infertility and IVF unit of an academic tertiary referral med ical center and university-based basic research laboratory. Results: F orty-eight percent (13/27) of the IVF patients and 43.8% (7/16) of the fertile controls exhibited anticardiolipin IgA activity in aspirated cervical mucus. The mean activity measured for the positive cases was similar in both groups. This activity was higher than that measured in peripheral blood of the women studied. No difference was noted betwee n infertile patients undergoing IVF treatment and fertile women in thi s respect. Conclusions: In this preliminary work, we demonstrated for the first time anticardiolipin IgA activity in human cervical mucus. T hese observations have to be substantiated by larger scaled studies to assess their possible clinical significance.