Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) in recurrent pregnancy loss

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a relation between recurrent pregnancy loss and thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), shown to play an important role in the delicate equilibrium between coagulation and fibrinolysis.The study included 40 patients presenting with recurrent pregnancy loss to the Outpatient Policlinico of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Adnan Menderes University Hospital and 48 controls. The criteria used to include patients into the study group were two or more consecutive losses of pregnancy lasting for less than 20 weeks, lack of a history of losses of pregnancy lasting for more than 20 weeks, no pregnancy at the time of the study and being at the ages of 18-38 years. The criteria used to include participants into the control group were having at least two pregnancies without complications and lack of a history of early or late pregnancy and being at the ages of 18-38 years. ELISA was used to measure plasma TAFI levels.There was no significant difference in mean age and body mass index between the groups. The study group was subdivided into groups depending on the number of pregnancy losses: Group 1A including patients with two pregnancy losses and Group 1B including patients with three or more fetal losses.No significant difference in plasma TAFI levels between the study group and the control group was found. There was not a significant difference between the subgroups, either. These results suggested that there was no relation between recurrent pregnancy loss and plasma TAFI levels.Case-controlled studies with larger sizes of samples including patients diagnosed with recurrent pregnancy loss which cannot be explained will provide more reliable information to understand effects of TAFI on mechanisms of pregnancy loss. In addition, it can be suggested that the hematological parameter clot-lysis time should also be investigated to reveal effects of TAFI on thrombosis.Key words: Recurrent pregnancy loss, thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor