Pregnancy morbidity in antiphospholipid syndrome: what is the impact of treatment?

Abstract

Women with persistently circulating antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) have a higher incidence of recurrent abortions, fetal losses, pre-eclampsia, and placental insufficiency. Current treatment of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) during pregnancy with heparin and aspirin can act by preventing clot formation and improving live birth rates, but other obstetric morbidities remain high, especially in patients with a history of thrombotic events. In addition to the classical thrombotic placental events, other factors involving inflammation and complement activation seem to play a role in certain complications. In this article, we will review how medications interfere in the pathogenic mechanisms of APS, discuss the impact of current recommended treatment on pregnancy morbidity, and analyze new promising therapies.