Prednisone and aspirin improve pregnancy rate in patients with reproductive failure and autoimmune antibodies: A prospective study

PROBLEM: The study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of prednisone and aspirin in autoantibody seropositive patients with repeated in vitro fe rtilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) failure, METhODS OF STUDY: The study group comprised 52 consecutive patients seropos itive for non-organ-specific autoantibodies? i.e., anti-cardiolipin antibod ies (ACA), anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA). anti-double-stranded (ds) DNA, rh eumatoid factor (RF), and lupus anti-coagulant (LAC). These patients were t reated with prednisone, 10 mg per day, and aspirin, 100 mg per day, startin g 4 weeks before induction of ovulation in 52 IVF cycles. RESULTS: The clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was 32.7% (17/52). No increa sed incidence of pregnancy complications. including premature labor, gestat ional diabetes mellitus, and pregnancy-induced of hypertension, were found. CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment of prednisone for immunosupression and aspi rin as an anti-thrombotic agent, starting before ovulation induction, may i mprove pregnancy rate in autoantibody seropositive patients who have had re peated IVF-ET failures.