Pregnancy outcome is not affected by antiphospholipid antibody status in women referred for in vitro fertilization

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of antiphospholipid (aPL) and anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I (anti-beta2-GPI) antibodies in women referred for IVF and to prospectively evaluate the effect of these antibodies on IVF outcome.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: A university hospital and IVF unit.

Patient(s): Three hundred eighty consecutive women referred for IVF.

Intervention(s): Blood samples taken before commencement of IVF cycles were tested for the presence of aPL (lupus anticoagulant [LA], anticardiolipin [aCL], and antiphosphatidyl serine antibodies [aPS]) and anti-beta2-GPI antibodies.

Main outcome measure(s): Antibody prevalence, pregnancy rates, and live birth rates.

Result(s): Of the total 380 women, 89 tested persistently positive for aPL (23.4%). None of 176 women tested for IgG aPS antibodies had a positive titer. Only 3.3% (11 of 329) tested positive for anti-beta2-GPI antibodies. Pregnancy rate, live birth rate, gestational age at delivery, and birth weight were not affected by aPL status.

Conclusion(s): Although women referred for IVF have a high prevalence of aPL, these antibodies do not affect the outcome of treatment. Screening women undergoing IVF for aPL is not justified.