ANTIBODIES TO OXIDIZED LOW-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN AND TO CARDIOLIPIN IN NONPREGNANT AND PREGNANT-WOMEN WITH HABITUAL ABORTION

Objective: To determine the occurrence of antibodies to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in women with a history of habitual abortion before and during pregnancy. Design: Immunoglobulin G class antibodies to malondialdehyde modified LDL were determined by a solid-phase ELISA in 42 habitual aborters before pregnancy, in 39 patients during pregnancy, and in 23 comparable nonpregnant and 22 pregnant control women without a history of abortion. In addition, we assessed the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies by ELISA in the same sera. Setting: Departments I and II of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Central Hospital of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Results: Early pregnancy was accompanied by a decrease in the median levels of antibodies to oxidized LDL both in habitual aborters and in the control series. Only one patient exhibited a raised level of antibodies to oxidized LDL before pregnancy but, during pregnancy, nine patients (23%) had elevated levels of antibodies to oxidized LDL, similar to women with a favorable outcome of pregnancy (6/27, 22%) and in women whose current pregnancy also ended in abortion (3/12, 25%). Cardiolipin binding antibodies were detected in three habitual aborters before pregnancy (7%) and in nine women during pregnancy (23%), with a tendency to be more frequent in patients with miscarrying pregnancies than in those with continuing pregnancies (4/12, 33% and 5/27, 19%). Antibodies to oxidized LDL and cardiolipin were simultaneously present in three habitual aborters with continuing pregnancies. Conclusions: Increased levels of antibodies to oxidized LDL and cardiolipin may be associated with habitual abortion.