The prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion, women with successful pregnancies, and women who have never been pregnant.

Antibodies to negatively charged phospholipids are associated with a predisposition to both arterial and venous thrombosis, recurrent fetal wastage, and thrombocytopenia. These associations have been reported in patients who do not fulfill criteria for connective tissue diseases. In this study, we determined the prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in 81 women who had had recurrent spontaneous abortion (3 or more fetal losses), in 88 women whose pregnancies were successful, and in 64 women who had never been pregnant. Antiphospholipid antibodies were found in 16% of women with recurrent spontaneous abortion, and at a statistically greater prevalence than in women who had successful pregnancies (7%) as well as those who had never been pregnant (3%). A false-positive VDRL and IgG anticardiolipin antibodies were more specific for fetal wastage than was either the lupus anticoagulant or IgM anticardiolipin antibodies.