This makes the interpretation of the data sometimes difficult. It is not clear whether LLA or aCL is more specific for fetal loss. It is well to bear in mind that various antibodies and various antigens are involved in this heterogeneous syndrome, and that with the usual assays some patients having Plb-Ab will be missed. It is possible that both are linked, as pregnancy loss could be due to thrombosis in the placental vessels. There is general agreement that LLA or aCL in SLE women are linked with recurrent pregnancy loss.
Pregnancy loss can occur in the first, second or third trimester of pregnancy.
All seven women with multiple pregnancy loss showed persistently positive coagulation tests. Women with transiently positive LLA did not show a significant association. This study also showed that a combination of coagulation tests for LLA plus testing for aCL on more than one occasion is superior to a single test in attempting to correlate the laboratory results with clinical events. This study was retrospective however and we still need prospective studies to establish a temporal relationship between the diagnosis of SLE and the development of Plb-Ab with fetal wastage. In women without lupus, the possible association with pregnancy loss is less clear.