A prospective study on the occurrence of autoantibodies in low-risk pregnancies

Objective: This investigation was done to study the prevalence of anti-nucl ear antibodies (ANA), anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL), and rheumatoid fac tor (RF), in presumed healthy women during their pregnancies. Study design: During an 18 month period blood samples were taken in the fir st, second and third trimester from 1200 pregnant women, representing a low -risk population. Clinical data on the pregnancy outcome were obtained by b irth statistics after their deliveries. The diagnoses of preeclampsia, intr auterine growth retardation, fetal death, or abruptio placentae were stated in 57 of these women. An age and parity-marched control group of 207 women with normal pregnancy outcome was drawn from the same low-risk population (n=1200). A nonpregnant control group consisted of 157 women. The prevalenc e of ANA (immunofluorescence microscopy on HEp-2 cells), aCL-immunoglobulin G (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and RF (latex agglutination test) i n preeclampsia, intrauterine growth retardation, fetal death, or abruptio p lacentae were compared to the normal pregnancies, and to the nonpregnant co ntrols. Results: ANA occurred significantly more often (P<0.05) in pregnancies comp licated by preeclampsia when compared to normal pregnancies. aCL occurred s parsely in normal as well as complicated pregnancies. RF was infrequently s een among all women in this study. Conclusion: An association was noted between the occurrence of ANA and pree clampsia. However, this association was too insensitive to use as a clinica l tool. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd All rights reserved.