Inherited thrombophilias could influence the reproductive outcome in women with systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with different reproductive complications in the affected women. Inherited thrombophilias are genetic factors increasing the risk for thromboembolism and recurrent pregnancy loss, but their influence on other reproductive disturbances in SLE patients has not been completely clarified. Two hundred and twenty-three Caucasian women (112 with SLE and 111 controls) were included in the study. Complete reproductive history of all SLE patients was carefully obtained. Genotyping for the FV_Leiden, FII_G20210A, and MTHFR_C677T polymorphisms was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. No significant differences in the prevalence of the FV_Leiden, FII_G20210A, and MTHFR_C677T polymorphisms between patients and controls were established. Patients with FV_Leiden had fewer pregnancies (0.57 ± 0.98 vs. 2.18 ± 1.58; p = 0.007) than the others, while no significant differences in the reproductive history of FII_G20210A carriers and non-carriers were observed (p >0.05). In the SLE group, 41.67% of women with the MTHFR_C677T TT genotype had at least one miscarriage in comparison to only 14.00% of the other female patients (p = 0.030). While the prevalence of the investigated thrombophilias was similar in patients with SLE and healthy women, a substantial influence of the inherited prothrombotic factors on the reproductive history of patients was revealed. The investigations of the FV_Leiden and MTHFR_C677T polymorphisms in SLE patients could help to identify women at highest risk for reproductive failure and thus, further studies in other ethnic groups would be of strong clinical importance.