Anticardiolipin antibodies and the severity of preeclampsia-eclampsia

Objective: To identify and compare anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) in pati ents with eclampsia, different grades of preeclampsia and women with normot ensive pregnancy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 13 pati ents with eclampsia, 39 with preeclampsia (13 severe, 26 mild), and 52 norm otensive pregnant women. All of them were studied in the 3rd trimester of p regnancy. The aCL were determined by an ELISA method. Results: There were n o significant differences in IgG aCL (F = 0.33, p = 0.80) and IgM aCL (F = 1.64, p = 0.18) between patients with eclampsia (6.9 +/- 3.9 U/GPL and 4.0 +/- 2.0 U/MPL), severe preeclampsia (5.7 +/- 3.5 U/GPL and 2.9 +/- 1.3 U/MP L), mild preeclampsia (6.8 +/- 3.9 U/GPL and 2.8 +/- 1.0 U/MPL) and normote nsive pregnant women (6.4 +/- 3.4 U/GPL and 3.0 +/- 1.8 U/MPL). None of the values of the aCL were considered as positive. Conclusion: Serum aCL level s were similar in patients with different grades of preeclampsia-eclampsia and women with normotensive pregnancy.