PREVALENCE OF EMBRYOTOXIC FACTOR IN SERA FROM WOMEN WITH UNEXPLAINED RECURRENT ABORTION

PROBLEM: The presence of embryotoxic factors in sera from women with r ecurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) has been proposed as a basis for c lassification of unexplained RSA. To determine the prevalence of circu lating embryotoxins among women with idiopathic RSA, sera from 160 wom en were studied using the mouse blastocyst assay. METHODS: Two-cell em bryos were collected from superovulated mated CB6F1/J mice and culture d in media supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS) or 10% serum at 37 degrees C with 5% CO2 and high humidity. Each assay was run in trip licate using three mice with at least five embryos from each mouse, Re sults were determined by calculating the average percentage atresia fo r each mouse. FBS, known to support embryo proliferation, was used to control in each assay. RESULTS: The prevalence of embryotoxic factors among women experiencing RSA was 24.4% (39/160). There is no correlati on found between the presence of embryotoxicity and phospholipid antib odies, lupus anticoagulant, and thyroglobulin/microsomal antibodies. C ONCLUSION: The embryotoxicity assay can serve as a basis for a new app roach for classification of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion .