Prednisone and aspirin improve pregnancy rate in patients with reproductive failure and autoimmune antibodies: a prospective study.

PROBLEM

The study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of prednisone and aspirin in autoantibody seropositive patients with repeated in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF ET) failure.

METHODS OF STUDY

The study group comprised 52 consecutive patients seropositive for non-organ-specific autoantibodies, i.e., anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACA), anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-double-stranded (ds) DNA, rheumatoid factor (RF), and lupus anti-coagulant (LAC). These patients were treated with prednisone, 10 mg per day, and aspirin, 100 mg per day, starting 4 weeks before induction of ovulation in 52 IVF cycles.

RESULTS

The clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was 32.7% (17/52). No increased incidence of pregnancy complications, including premature labor, gestational diabetes mellitus, and pregnancy-induced hypertension, were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined treatment of prednisone for immunosuppression and aspirin as an anti-thrombotic agent, starting before ovulation induction, may improve pregnancy rate in autoantibody seropositive patients who have had repeated IVF-ET failures.