Objective: We assessed the prevalence of inherited (FV-Leiden and PRT G20210A), and acquired (anti-PL antibodies) risk factors among habitual aborters in Tunisia.
Study design: We studied prospectively 146 patients with > or =3 consecutive early, late, or early-late recurrent pregnancy losses, together with 99 age-matched controls. Anticardiolipin antibodies (ACL), lupus anticoagulant (LA), and APC resistance (APCR) were detected by ELISA, dilute Russell Viper Venom Time (dRVVT), and coagulation tests, respectively, and FV-Leiden and PRT G20210A genotypes were assessed by PCR.
Results: Anti-PL antibody frequencies were 45 and 9% among patients and controls, respectively (P < 0.001), with positive LA only (P = 0.004), or combined elevated ACL-positive LA being consistently higher (P < 0.001) among patients than controls. FV-Leiden (20.54% versus 6.06%), but not PRT G20210A (2.74% versus 4.04%) was significantly higher in patients versus controls. Among LA-positive cases higher prevalence of G/A (14/146 versus 1/99) and A/A genotypes (4/146 versus 0/99) were seen, and among ACL-positive cases higher prevalence of G/A (10/146 versus 0/99) and A/A genotypes (2/146 versus 0/99) were recorded.
Conclusions: Anti-PL antibodies and FV-Leiden, but not PRT G20210A, are associated with recurrent idiopathic pregnancy losses in Tunisian women.