Vascular dysfunction has been reported in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). We investigated the severity of vascular dysfunction in non-pregnant women with RPL and its correlation with anti-heat shock protein (HSP) antibodies that are known to induce arteriosclerosis. We measured the serum anti-HSP60 antibodies, anti-HSP70 antibodies, and anti-phospholipid antibodies (APA) in 68 women with RPL and 29 healthy controls. Among the women with RPL, 14 had a diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and in the remaining 54, the causes for RPL were unexplained. Compared to the controls, the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), carotid augmentation index (cAI), and uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) were all significantly higher in the women with both APS and unexplained RPL. Compared to the controls, the anti-HSP60 antibody levels were significantly higher in the APA-positive group of women with unexplained RPL, and the anti-HSP70 antibody levels were significantly higher in APS and APA-positive group of women with unexplained RPL. However, the anti-HSP60 and anti-HSP70 antibody levels did not correlate with the values of baPWV or cAI. Our results demonstrated anti-HSP60 and anti-HSP70 antibodies are increased in women with unexplained RPL. Further studies are needed to elucidate the roles of anti-HSP antibodies and their pathophysiology in unexplained RPL.
Keywords: arterial stiffness; autoantibody; heat shock protein; pulse wave velocity; recurrent pregnancy loss.