Acquired factor XII deficiency in a woman with recurrent pregnancy loss: working on a differential diagnosis in a single case

doi:10.1186/1479-5876-3-43

Journal of Translational Medicine

Volume 3

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D'Uva M
Strina I
Mollo A
Ranieri A
De Placido G
Di Micco P

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Strina I
Mollo A
Ranieri A
De Placido G
Di Micco P
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Acquired factor XII deficiency in a woman with recurrent pregnancy loss: working on a differential diagnosis in a single case

Maristella D'Uva , Ida Strina , Antonio Mollo , Antonio Ranieri , Giuseppe De Placido and Pierpaolo Di Micco

Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze Ostetriche Ginecologiche e Medicina della Riproduzione, Area Funzionale di Medicina della Riproduzione ed Endoscopia Ginecologica, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Pansini 5 Building 9, 80131, Naples, Italy; *Thrombosis Center, Istituto Clinico Humanitas "IRCCS", via Manzoni 56, 20089, Rozzano – Milano – Italy

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Journal of Translational Medicine 2005, 3:43doi:10.1186/1479-5876-3-43


Published:	2 December 2005

Abstract

Background

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been often associated to RPL since 1980 and some reports in the Literature rarely described antibodies to factor XII in patients with APS.

Case history

We report the case history of 34-year-old caucasian women with recurrent fetal loss and persistent prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time. Haemostatic tests revealed persistent light decrease of clotting factor XII with normal values of IgG and IgM anticardiolipin antibodies and transient positivity for lupus anticoagulant (LA). Few reports in the Literature described antibodies to factor XII in patient with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and transient LA. So, once other causes of RPL were excluded, the patient was diagnosed an unusual form of APS associated to antibodies to factor XII, reduced factor XII plasma levels, transient LA and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time.

Discussion

We suggest to consider also antibodies directed to clotting factors (e.g. factor XII in our case) as second step of thrombophilia screening in RPL, in particular if a persistent prolonged aPTT is present without an apparent cause.