Anti-cardiolipin antibody and anti-cardiolipin beta-2-glycoprotein I antibody in patients with recurrent fetal miscarriage

To elucidate the association between anticardiolipin antibody (aCL-Ab) or a nti-cardiolipin beta-2-glycoprotein I-antibody (aCL-beta-2-GP I-Ab) and rec urrent fetal miscarriage, the positive rates of aCL-Ab were assessed in 667 patients with recurrent fetal miscarriages and those of aCL-beta-2-GP I-Ab were assessed in 208 patients. The rates were then compared with the contr ol group. The positive rate of aCL-Ab in the patients group (17.4 %) was si gnificantly higher than that in the control group (4.0 %). The rate of aCL- Ab was especially high in patients who had experienced two or more fetal mi scarriages including at least one or more intrauterine fetal deaths during the second or third trimester (41.3 %). The positive rate of aCL-beta-2-GP I-Ab in patients with recurrent fetal miscarriage (3/208 cases, 1.4 %) was not significantly different from the control group (0/100 cases, 0 %). Howe ver, the rate of aCL-beta-2-GP I-Ab was significantly higher in patients wh o had experienced two or more fetal miscarriages including at least one or more intrauterine fetal deaths during the second or third trimester (8.3 %) compared with the control group. In conclusion, the implication of aCL-Ab in the genesis of recurrent fetal miscarriage was confirmed. It was suggest ed that aCL-beta-2-GP I-Ab was associated with the generation of intrauteri ne fetal death, although it had little association with the genesis of recu rrent fetal miscarriage during the first trimester.