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Autoantibodies and Pregnancy Wastage
Author(s) -
COWCHOCK SUSAN
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1991.tb00700.x
Subject(s) - autoantibody , medicine , pregnancy , immunology , etiology , fetus , serology , vasospasm , obstetrics , antibody , genetics , subarachnoid hemorrhage , biology
The established association between a relatively specific group of autoantibodies binding negatively charged phospholipids and poor pregnancy outcome has advanced treatment options for women with this diagnosis. Evidence for an association between systemic autoimmune disorders and otherwise unexplained obstetric complications, in the absence of a documented antiphospholipid antibody(s), is reviewed. The existence of autoantibodies with other specificities that could be related to fetal wastage has been suggested by associations between poor obstetric histories and nonspecific serologic abnormalities observed in women with no clinical signs of an autoimmune disorder. Because signs and symptoms of vasospasm such as Raynaud's phenomenon or placental infarction have been observed in women with a history of unexplained fetal demise, a search for autoantibodies recognizing antigens common to trophoblastic and vascular cell surfaces is suggested.