The association of inherited thrombophilia and intrauterine fetal death

Abstract

Inherited thrombophilias are probably associated with placenta-mediated pregnancy complications, but the strength of the association between inherited thrombophilias and intrauterine fetal death after 22 gestational weeks varies due to small sample size and different methodologies used across studies. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association of inherited thrombophilia and intrauterine fetal death in a case-control design. We studied 105 women with a history of intrauterine fetal death after 22 gestational weeks and 262 controls with live births. We investigated the prevalence of the factor V Leiden (F5 rs6025) and prothrombin gene G20210A (F2 rs1799963) polymorphisms, and antithrombin, protein C and protein S deficiencies, and their association with intrauterine fetal death. Results were presented as percentages and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 18.4% of cases and 11.8% of controls were positive for at least one inherited thrombophilia (OR 1.7; 95% CI 0.9-3.1). The prothrombin gene G20210A polymorphism (OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.1-14.4), but not the factor V Leiden polymorphism, or antithrombin, protein C or protein S deficiencies, was associated with intrauterine fetal death after 22 weeks of gestation. Compared with women with live births only, women with a history of intrauterine fetal death after 22 gestational weeks were significantly more often carriers of the prothrombin gene G20210A polymorphism.