Prevalence of circulating procoagulant microparticles in women with recurrent miscarriage: a case-controlled study

BACKGROUND: Circulating microparticles are markers of cell activation associated with various prothrombotic states. As hypoxia due to uteroplacental thrombosis is considered to be one of the causes of pregnancy loss, microparticles may be associated with pregnancy loss, in addition to, or as part of, other procoagulant states such as antiphospholipid syndrome or hereditary thrombophilias. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of circulating microparticles in women with recurrent pregnancy loss. METHODS: A total of 96 women with recurrent pregnancy losses were enrolled in a case-control study and compared with 90 parous women. Microparticles were measured by flow cytometry using fluorescent anti-CD51/CD31 antibodies. RESULTS: Microparticle levels >2 SD above the mean of controls (57 700/ml) were detected in 12 out of 96 women with recurrent miscarriages (12.5%), compared with two of the 90 control women (2.2%), P < 0.008. The titre of microparticles did not correlate with age, number of pregnancy losses, primary secondary or tertiary aborters status, or with pregnancy losses in the 1st or 2nd trimesters. CONCLUSIONS: A proportion of women with pregnancy loss have elevated endothelial microparticles suggesting that endothelial damage or activation might be associated with the pathogenesis of pregnancy loss.