CIRCULATING AUTOIMMUNE ANTIBODIES MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLANTATIONFAILURE IN IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION

Objective: To investigate the role of autoimmune factors as a possible cause for implantation failure as manifested by chemical pregnancy af ter IVF and ET. Design: Anticardiolipin, anti-double-stranded DNA (dsD NA), antinuclear antibody, lupus anticoagulant, and rheumatoid factor serum levels were examined in patients with chemical pregnancies and i n matched controls. Setting: An IVF unit, university-based IVF program . Patients: The study group included 21 patients who had had one or mo re chemical pregnancies and no deliveries. The control group consisted of 21 patients who had conceived and delivered after IVF-ET treatment , without any history of fetal wastage, matched for age, type and dura tion of infertility, and number of previous IVF cycles. Results: The i ncidence of circulating autoimmune antibodies in the study group was 3 3.3% (7/21). Three patients (14.2%) were positive for anticardiolipin, two (9.5%) were positive for anti-dsDNA, one (4.7%) for antinuclear f actor, and one (4.7%) for rheumatoid factor. Autoimmune antibodies wer e not detected in any of the control group. Conclusion: Autoimmunity m ay play a role in implantation failure in IVF-ET. Circulating autoimmu ne antibody screening is therefore recommended after chemical pregnanc y.