The prevalence of Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Severe Preechamptic and Normatensive-Term Pregnant Women

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in severe preeclamptic and normotensive-term pregnant women.

Methods: Blood samples were obtained from sicty severe preeclamptic women and one hundred and twenty normotensive-term pregnant women. All samples were analyzed for lupus anticoagulant by kaolin clotting time and for anticardiolipin antibodies by ELISA. The clinical course of all women and perinatal outcome were recorded.

Results: Positive antiphospholipic antibodies were detected in eight (13%) out of sixty severe preclamptic women and one (0.8%) out fo one hundred and twenty normotensive-term pregnant women.  Five of eight infants of antiphospholipid antibodies positive-severe preeclamptic women were small for gestational age. This was a significantly larger proportion than that of antiphospholipic antibodies negative-severe preeclamptic women (10/52) (p=0.018).

Conclusion: The prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in severe preeclamptic women and in normotensive-term pregnant women in this study is comparable with the previous studies.  Positive levels of antiphospholipid antibodies in severe preeclamptic women increase the risk for fetal intrauterine growth retardation.