OBJECTIVE: To compare the peritoneal and serum levels of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) against the following phospholipids: cardiolipin, L-alpha-phosphatidic acid, L-alpha-phosphatidylethanolamine, 1-alpha-phosphatidyl-DL-glycerol, L-alpha-phosphatidyl-inositol, L-alpha-phosphatidyl-L-serine in immunoglobulin isotypes of G, M, and secretory A. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A group of 107 women with primary infertility were immunologically examined. An ELISA method was used for detection of aPLs. RESULTS: aPL-L-serine and aPL-cardiolipin predominate over peritoneal fluid in all studied Ig isotypes (G, M, secretory A). Levels of aPL-ethanolamine are much higher in peritoneal sIgA and IgM than in sera. There is a predominance of IgG-aPLs-inositol, DL-glycerol, and aPL-acid in serum, and of sIgA in peritoneal fluid. CONCLUSION: Our patients had higher levels of aPLs (IgG, IgM, sIgA) against cardiolipin, serine, and ethanolamine in peritoneal fluid than in sera. The prevalence of aPLs in IgG was against DL-glycerol, phosphatidyl-inositol, and phosphatidic acid. It is quite difficult to estimate whether the aPLs have an influence directly through phospholipid epitopes on uterine mucous membrane, on the surface of oocytes, or on the surface of the early embryo during the fertilization and/or implantation process.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Charles University Pilsen Czech Republic

Association of the leukemia inhibitory factor gene mutation and the antiphospholipid antibodies in the peripheral blood of infertile women