Antiphospholipid antibodies and the outcome of pregnancy after the first in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer cycle

Increased antiphospholipid antibody prevalence has been demonstrated by anumber of recent studies in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) patients but thepotential effects of antiphospholipid antibodies on the differentcomponents of the reproductive process and the consideration of whether totest IVF patients for antiphospholipid antibodies are controversial. Thepresent study was undertaken to investigate the possible associationbetween the presence of circulating antiphospholipid antibodies (namely thelupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies), among a series of 21consecutive IVF patients having a clinical spontaneous abortion after theirfirst embryo transfer. As a control group (n=42), the nearest IVF cycleresulting in an ongoing pregnancy before and after each miscarried IVFcycle (i.e. the closest cycles in temporal relationship to the index cycle)was used. One patient (4.8%) in the study group and two women (4.8%) amongcontrols were seropositive for antiphospholipid antibodies. These low andsimilar seropositivity rates found in the two groups studied lead us toconclude that antiphospholipid antibodies testing in IVF patients should beconsidered only in those women having repeated failures ofimplantation/clinical abortion after embryo transfer but not in aninfertile general population reaching an IVF programme.