ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the characteristics of blood dynamic parameters in pregnant women with anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) and a history of adversely pregnant complications. METHODS: The study included a prospective cohort of pregnant women with (272 cases) and without (186 cases) aCL. Among the aCL positive pregnant women, 91 cases had the history of adversely pregnant complications including spontaneous abortion, still fetus. Serum antibodies to cardiolipin (CL) were measured by a specific enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Blood dynamics parameters were measured by non-invasive cardiovascular parameters surveyor (TP-CBS). RESULTS: The women were divided into three groups: group A (91 cases)included women with both the history of adversely pregnant complications and positive aCL, group B (181 cases) with positive aCL alone and group C (186 cases) without either of them. In group A maximum blood viscosity (Vmax) was (4.7 +/- 0.5) mPa x s and in group B it was (4.6 +/- 0.7) mPa x s. Both was higher than normal. In group B the Vmax was higher (P < 0.05) than in group C [(4.4 +/- 0.4) mPa x s]. The wave form coefficient(K) was different in three groups: group A was 0.41 +/- 0.04, group B was 0.39 +/- 0.05 and group C was 0.39 +/- 0.04. In group A their wave form coefficient was higher than in group B (P < 0.05). Their total peripheral resistance (TPR) was higher (P < 0.05) in group A [(1.3 +/- 0.4) mm Hg x s x ml(-1)] than in group B [(1.2 +/- 0.4) mm Hg x s x ml(-1)]. The cardiac index (CI) was in group A [(43 +/- 15) ml/(s x m(2))], in group B [(48 +/- 16) ml/(s x m(2))] and in group C [(48 +/- 14) ml/(s x m(2))], lower in group A than in group B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An important change of blood dynamic parameters of pregnant women with aCL is the increase of Vmax. If Vmax, K and TPR were increased and CI was decreased simultaneously in women with aCL, it would result in more chances of adversely pregnant complications. Measuring the blood dynamics parameters will help us discover the sub-clinical hypercoagulable state of patients with aCL and guide us to treat them promptly, so that to improve successful pregnancy rate.
