Anti-cardiolipin antibodies in fetal blood and amniotic fluid derived frompatients with the anti-phospholipid syndrome

The aim of this study was to investigate whether, in patients with antiphos pholipid syndrome, anticardiolipin antibodies pass from mother to offspring sera and amniotic fluid. Eleven patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (s tudy group) and 11 healthy controls, matched by maternal and gestational ag e (control group) were prospectively examined for the presence of anticardi olipin antibodies in the cord blood during labour, and amniotic fluid durin g vaginal or Caesarean delivery. Three neonates (27.3%) in the study group had anticardiolipin antibodies in the cord blood, while none had them in th e control group. Anticardiolipin antibodies were detected in the amniotic f luid in six (54.5%) of the study group pregnancies, compared with none in t he control group. No adverse neonatal outcome was noted except for signific antly lower (P < 0.0006) mean birth weight in the study group, Anticardioli pin antibodies can pass the placenta and be detected in fetal cord blood an d amniotic fluid. This finding might be used in the future for the assessme nt of pregnancies with antiphospholipid syndrome.