PROTHROMBIN ACTIVATION FRAGMENT (F1.2) IS INCREASED IN PREGNANT PATIENTS WITH ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES

Recurrent fetal wastage has been attributed to thrombosis in the antip hospholipid antibody syndrome (APAS); however, this has not been prove n. Assays of coagulation activation fragments which may provide eviden ce for a role for thrombosis, have not been previously reported in thi s setting. We therefore investigated whether F1.2 levels are altered i n APAS pregnancies. F1.2 levels were performed on plasmas obtained fro m fifty-four APA patients with a history of persistent elevation of an tiphospholipid antibodies and recurrent abortion who were studied duri ng eighty-three consecutive visits. Results from these patients were c ompared to a control group of thirty-two healthy pregnant females. F1. 2 levels were significantly higher in APAS patients than controls in t he second trimester (6.5 nM +/- 4.3 nM vs. 1.2 nM +/- 0.9 nM, p < 0.00 01), and in the third trimester of pregnancy (8.6 nM +/- 2.5 nM vs. 3. 7 nM +/- 2.0 nM, p < 0.0001). The F1.2 levels in the APA group returne d to baseline soon after delivery. No correlation was observed between F1.2 and APA values. This study shows that pregnant patients with a h istory of recurrent abortions and APA have significantly increased act ivation of prothrombin compared to healthy pregnant females. These dat a indicate that the potential value of activations peptide assays such as F1.2 in this setting should be tested in prospective clinical tria ls. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.