Antinuclear and Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Healthy Women With Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion

PROBLEM: To determine the presence or absence of subclinical autoimmunity in healthy women with first trimester recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), the sera of 72 healthy women with a history of three or more consecutive abortions were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to phospholipid and nuclear antigens. METHOD: Lupus anticoagulant was determined, as were antibodies to cardiolipin. An indirect immunofluorescent antinuclear test was performed and specific antinuclear antibodies to double‐stranded DNA, ribonucleoprotein, Smith antigen, and Sjogren's syndrome A and B antigens were tested. RESULTS: Nine women (13.2%) had low levels of antinuclear antibodies, none of which were specific. Four women (5.6%) had moderate to high levels of aCL antibodies. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the prevalance of aCLs and antinuclear antibodies in healthy women with first trimester RSA is low. Subclinical autoimmunity is not a common cause of first trimester RSA.