Anticardiolipin Antibodies as Diagnostic Tool for Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion in Saudi Women

ABSTRACT Purpose of the present study is to evaluate the correlation between high level of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and recurrent spontaneous abortions in Saudi women. An association between anticardiolipin antibodies and gestational age of abortion and duration past abortion in Saudi women living in Western region of Saudi Arabia (Makkah) was determined by collecting blood samples from 100 females who had history of spontaneous recurrent abortion as case group and 100 pregnant healthy women as control group ages ranged between 20 and 40 years, with a mean age of 31.4 ± 12.69 years. Average rate of anticardiolipin antibodies in the serum of case group compared with the control group in this study indicated significantly low level in case group (p<0.05). Based on number of previous miscarriages a significantly high rate with an increase in the number of miscarriage (four and more) was also observed. Results based on gestational age in patients of different miscarriages indicated a consistently and significantly high level of serum anticardiolipin antibodies in second and third miscarriages when compared with the first miscarriage at the age of around 10 weeks, being highest at the gestational age of 11-20 weeks. Results based on duration past of different miscarriages indicated a significantly high level at ≤ 4 years after their first miscarriage. Moreover estimated levels of serum anticardiolipin antibodies were found to be more or less equal at 5-12 and more than 12 years in all the miscarriages. In conclusion, anticardiolipin antibodies based on number of abortions and gestational age of abortions were increased in all patients just in first 5 years past abortion and then began to fall. However further diagnostic studies are recommended since these antibodies are a potential cause of hypercoagulability and may increase the risk of thromboembolic events with a larger sample size, including different age groups and populations. Keywords: Anticardiolipin antibodies, recurrent spontaneous abortion, Saudi Arabia