A Retrospective Study on the Association between Thyroid Autoantibodies with ß2-glycoprotein and Cardiolipin Antibodies in Recurrent Miscarriage.

ABSTRACT

Etiologic factors for recurrent miscarriage (RM) include autoimmune diseases, the most frequently antiphospholipid syndrome and thyroiditis. Some women who suffer from RM might also have an altered immune system. We aimed to evaluate possible associations between anti-thyroid and anti-phospholipid antibodies in women with RM. In a retrospective case series 1 on 156 women with RM, major outcome parameters were antibodies against cardiolipin, ß2-glycoprotein I, thyreoperoxidase (TPO-Ab), and thyroglobulin (TG-Ab). Significant (p<0.05) positive correlations were found between TPO-Ab and TG-Ab (r=0.577), TPO-Ab and IgG anti-cardiolipin antibodies (r=0.284), TPO-Ab and IgG anti- ß2-glycoprotein I antibodies (r=0.196), and TG-Ab and IgG anti-cardiolipin antibodies (r=0.193), as well as between all types of anti-phospholipid antibodies. Women with both increased TPO-Ab and TG-Ab levels revealed higher (p<0.001) IgG anti-cardiolipin and IgG anti-ß2-glycoprotein I antibodies. Anti-thyroid antibodies were linked to anti-phospholipid antibodies and should be in the focus of future research on RM.