Skip to main content
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics logoLink to Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
. 2003 Feb;20(2):53–57. doi: 10.1023/A:1021716623305

Multiple Autoantibodies Associated with Autoimmune Reproductive Failure

Yaniv Sherer 1,2,3, Shelly Tartakover-Matalon 2, Miri Blank 2,3, Eiji Matsuura 4, Yehuda Shoenfeld 1,2,3
PMCID: PMC3455789  PMID: 12688588

Abstract

Purpose: Autoimmune factors are involved in some of the cases of reproductive failure. The aim of this paper is to discuss the association between autoantibodies and reproductive failure.

Methods: Literature review of autoantibodies associated with reproductive failure.

Results: Several autoantibodies were found in association with such clinical manifestations, mainly in patients having systemic lupus erythematosus or the antiphospholipid syndrome. These autoantibodies include “classical” antiphospholipid antibodies such as anticardiolipin, anti-β2-glycoprotein-I, antiphosphatidylserine, and antiphosphatidylethanolamine. There are also some “nonclassical” antiphospholipid antibodies directed to prothrombin, thromboplastin, or mitochondrial antibodies of M5 type, which were also found in patients with reproductive failure. Moreover, animal models as well as some human studies support a role for other autoantibodies in these clinical manifestations including antithyroglobulin, antilaminin-1, anti-corpus luteum, antiprolactin, anti-poly(ADP-ribose), and lymphocytotoxic antibodies.

Conclusions: Even though there is not enough data currently to support a firm association between some of these autoantibodies and reproductive failure, future studies are likely to help us determine and expand the number of autoantibodies screened in these patients.

Keywords: Antilaminin antibody, antiphospholipid syndrome, reproductive failure, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroglobulin

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (56.8 KB).

References

  • 1.Shoenfeld Y, Sherer Y, Blank M. Antiphospholipid syndrome in pregnancy—Animal models and clinical implications. Scand J Rheumatol. 1998;27(Suppl107):33–36. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Love PE, Santoro SA. Antiphospholipid antibodies: Anticardiolipin and lupus anticoagulant in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and non-SLE disorders. Ann Intern Med. 1990;112:682–697. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-112-9-682. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Ninomiya C, Taniguchi O, Kato T, Hirano T, Hashimoto H, Hirose S. Distribution and clinical significance of lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibody in 349 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Intern Med. 1992;31:194–199. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.31.194. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Shoenfeld Y, Blank M, Sherer Y. Induction and treatment of the antiphospholipid syndrome—Lessons from animal models. Eur J Clin Invest. 2001;31:736–740. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2362.2001.00866.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Blank M., Cohen J., Toder V., Shoenfeld Y. Induction of antiphospholipid syndrome in naive mice with mouse lupus monoclonal and human polyclonal anticardiolipin antibodies. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1991;88:3069–3073. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.8.3069. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Bakimer R, Fishman P, Blank M, Sredni B, Djaldetti M, Shoenfeld Y. Induction of primary antiphospholipid syndrome in mice by immunization with a human monoclonal anticardiolipin antibody (H-3) J Clin Invest. 1992;89:1558–1563. doi: 10.1172/JCI115749. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Vogt E, Lyden TW, Rose NS. Monoclonal antiphosphatidylserine antibody induces intrauterine growth retardation in BALB/c mice. Clin Exp Rheum. 1992;10:641. [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Blank M, Tincani A, Shoenfeld Y. Induction of antiphospholipid syndrome in naive mice with purified IgG anti-phosphatidylserine antibodies. J Rheumatol. 1994;21:100–104. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Yodfat O, Blank M, Krause I, Shoenfeld Y. The pathogenic role of anti-phosphatidylserine antibodies: Active immunization with the antibodies leads to the induction of antiphospholipid syndrome. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1996;78:14–20. doi: 10.1006/clin.1996.0003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Karmochkine M, Berard M, Piette JC, Cacoub P, Aillaud MF, Harle JR, Godeau P, Boffa MC. Antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus. 1993;2:157–160. doi: 10.1177/096120339300200305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Berard M, Chantome R, Marcelli A, Boffa MC. Antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies as the only antiphospholipid antibodies. I. Association with thrombosis and vascular cutaneous diseases. J Rheumatol. 1996;23:1369–1374. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Cabral AR, Cabiedes J., Alarcon-Segovia D. Clinical manifestations of the antiphospholipid syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus associate more strongly with anti-β2-glycoprotein I than with antiphospholipid antibodies. J Rheumatol. 1995;22:1988–1996. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Day HM, Thiagarajan P, Ahn C, Reveille JD, Tinker KF, Arnett FC. Autoantibodies to β2-glycoprotein I in systemic lupus erythematosus and primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: Clinical correlations in comparison with other antiphospholipid antibody tests. J Rheumatol. 1998;25:667–674. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Sanfilippo SS, Khamashta MA, Atsumi T, Amengual O, Bertolaccini ML, D'Cruz D, Amft N, Swana GT, Hughes GR. Antibodies to β2-glycoprotein. I: A potential marker of clinical features of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. J Rheumatol. 1998;25:2131–2134. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Blank M., Faden D., Tincani A., Kopolovic J., Goldberg I., Gilburd B., Allegri F., Balestrieri G., Valesini G., Shoenfeld Y. Immunization with anticardiolipin cofactor (beta-2-glycoprotein I) induces experimental antiphospholipid syndrome in naive mice. J Autoimmun. 1994;7:441–455. doi: 10.1006/jaut.1994.1032. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Font J, Lopez-Soto A, Cervera R, Casals FJ, Reverter JC, Munoz FJ, Miret C, Bove A, Ordinas A, Ingelmo M. Antibodies to thromboplastin in systemic lupus erythematosus: Isotype distribution and clinical significance in a series of 92 patients. Thromb Res. 1997;86:37–48. doi: 10.1016/s0049-3848(97)00043-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Tincani A, Meroni PL, Brucato A, Zanussi C, Allegri F, Mantelli P, Cattaneo R, Balestrieri G. Antiphospholipid and anti mitochondrial type 5 antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1985;3:321–326. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 18.La Rosa L., Covini G, Galperin C, Catelli L, Del Papa N, Reina G, Morabito A, Balestrieri G, Tincani A, Gershwin ME, Meroni PL. Anti-mitochondrial M5 type antibody represents one of serological markers for antiphospholipid syndrome distinct from anticardiolipin and anti-β2 glycoprotein I antibodies. Clin Exp Immunol. 1998;112:144–151. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1998.00562.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Vaarala O, Puurunen M, Manttari M, Manninen V, Aho K, Palosuo T. Antibodies to prothrombin imply a risk of myocardial infarction in middle-aged men. Thromb Haemost. 1996;75:456–459. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Matalon-Taratkover S, Blank M, Ornoy A, Shoenfeld Y. The association between anti-thyroid antibodies and pregnancy loss. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2001;45:72–77. doi: 10.1111/j.8755-8920.2001.450202.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Dendrinos S, Papasteriades C, Tarassi K, Christodoulakos G, Prasinos G, Creatsas G. Thyroid autoimmunity in patients with recurrent spontaneous miscarriages. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2000;14:270–274. doi: 10.3109/09513590009167693. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Pasoto SG, Viana VST, Mendonca BB, Yoshinari NH, Bonfa E. Anti-corpus luteum antibody: A novel serological marker for ovarian dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus? J Rheumatol. 1999;26:1087–1093. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Leaños A, Pascoe D, Fraga A, Blanco-Favela F. Anti-prolactin autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with associated hyperprolactinemia. Lupus. 1998;7:398–403. doi: 10.1191/096120398678920280. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Breshnihan B, Grigor RR, Oliver M, Lewkonia RM, Hughes GR, Lovins RE, Faulk WP. Immunological mechanism for spontaneous abortion in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lancet. 1977;10:1205–1207. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)90441-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Kanai Y, Ionishi S, Terashima Y. Antibody to poly (ADP-ribose) is an indicator of obstetric complications in pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Immunol Lett. 1989;21:217–222. doi: 10.1016/0165-2478(89)90107-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 26.Inagaki J, Matsuura E, Nomizu M, Sugiura-Ogasawara M, Katano K, Kaihara K, Kobayashi K, Yasuda T, Aoki K. IgG antilaminin-1 autoantibody and recurrent miscarriages. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2001;45:232–238. doi: 10.1111/j.8755-8920.2001.450406.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Foidart JM, Yaar M, Figueroa A, Wilk A, Brown KS, Liotta LA. Abortion in mice induced by intravenous injection of antibodies to type IV collagen or laminin. Am J Pathol. 1983;110:346–357. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics are provided here courtesy of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

RESOURCES