Midfollicular anticardiolipin and antiphosphatidylserine antibody titers do not correlate with in vitro fertilization outcome

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of anticardiolipin and antiphophatidylserine antibodies in an IVF population and to correlate their presence and specific isotype with IVF cycle outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective clinical study using stored midfollicular sera for determination of antibody status. SETTING: University hospital infertility clinic. PATIENT(S): Women who underwent IVF treatment in 1991. INTERVENTION(S): Midfollicular sera were used to assess antibody status during the time of stimulation for IVF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Anticardiolipin and antiphosphatidylserine antibody titers and biochemical or sonographic documentation of IVF cycle outcome. RESULT(S): The overall prevalence of anticardiolipin and antiphosphatidylserine antibodies in IVF patients was 7.0% and 11.2%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of these antibodies in the groups of patients with a biochemical pregnancy (0 for anticardiolipin and 2.8% for antiphosphatidylserine), spontaneous miscarriage (11.4% for anticardiolipin and 20% for antiphosphatidylserine), ongoing pregnancy (7.3% for anticardiolipin and 11.6% for antiphosphatidylserine), and patients who failed to conceive (7.2% for anticardiolipin and 10.8% for antiphosphatidylserine). There was no correlation between outcome and the antibody isotype expressed. CONCLUSION(S): Anticardiolipin and antiphosphatidylserine antibodies are poorly predictive of the IVF cycle outcome. Routine testing of IVF patients for the presence of these antibodies is of limited clinical utility.