Antibodies to factor XII and recurrent fetal loss in patients with the anti-phospholipid syndrome

Forty female patients with either primary antiphospholipid syndrome (n = 26) or systemic lupus erythematosus (anti-phospholipid syndrome positive) (n = 14) were investigated for levels of factor XII, the presence of lupus anticoagulant and antibodies to cardiolipin, beta 2-glycoprotein I and factor XII. Twenty-one patients had a history of recurrent fetal loss (> 2, mean = 2.6). Lupus anticoagulant positivity showed a weak association with recurrent fetal loss (odds ratio = 11). While there was no association between the presence of antibodies to cardiolipin or beta 2-glycoprotein I with recurrent fetal loss, antibodies to factor XII showed a strong and statistically significant association (odds ratio = 5.4, P = 0.025).