Effects of Thrombophilia and Antithrombotic Therapy on Embryonic Chromosomal Aberration Rates in Patients with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Abstract

Background: Miscarriage occurs in 10-15% of pregnancies and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) occurs in 1% of couples hoping for a child. Various risk factors, such as thrombophilia, uterine malformation, and embryonic chromosomal aberration cause RPL. We hypothesized that antithrombotic therapy for RPL patients with thrombophilia would reduce miscarriage due to thrombophilia, which would reduce the total miscarriages and result in a relative increase in miscarriage due to embryonic chromosomal aberrations. In this study, we investigated the incidence of chromosomal aberrations in products of conception in RPL patients with and without antithrombotic therapy.

Methods: We performed a single-center, retrospective review of cases diagnosed as miscarriage with embryo chromosome analysis between July 1, 2000, and May 31, 2019. Rates of chromosomal aberration were compared between RPL patients with and without thrombophilia or antithrombotic therapy.

Results: One hundred and-ninety RPL cases were analyzed. The average age was 37.4 ± 4.3 years, and the average number of previous pregnancy losses was 2.2 ± 1.1. The overall chromosomal aberration rate was 67.4% (128/190). There was no difference in the chromosomal aberration rate between the factors for RPL, with or without thrombophilia, and antithrombotic therapy. Only advancing maternal age had significant correlation to increased embryo chromosomal aberration rates.

Conclusions: With or without antithrombotic therapy, miscarriage was caused by embryonic chromosome abnormalities at a certain rate. Antithrombotic therapy in RPL patients with thrombophilia may reduce abortions due to thrombophilia, which may also normalize the rate of embryonic chromosome aberrations in the subsequent miscarriages.

Keywords: abortion; antiphospholipid antibodies; aspirin; chromosome aberrations; heparin.