The European Registry on Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome (EUROAPS): A survey of 247 consecutive cases

AIM: To analyse the clinical features, laboratory data, foetal-maternal outcomes, and follow-up in a cohort of 247 women with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS). METHODS: The European Registry on APS became a Registry within the framework of the European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibody projects and placed on a website in June 2010. Cases with obstetric complaints related to aPL who tested positive for aPL prospectively and retrospectively were included. The three-year survey results are reported. RESULTS: 338 women with 1253 pregnancy episodes were included; 915 were historical and 338 were latest episodes. All these women tested positive for aPL. 247 of the 338 fulfilled the Sydney criteria. According to the laboratory categories, 84/247 were in category I, 42 in IIa, 66 in IIb and 55 in IIc. Obstetric complications other than foetal losses, appeared in 129 cases (52.2%). 192 (77.7%) had a live birth and 55 (22.3%) did not. The latter group of only 38 cases (69%) received adequate treatment and 17 (31%) did not. 177/247 (72%) women were put on heparin plus LDA. Thrombosis appeared in two during pregnancy and in 14 during the puerperium. 7 (3%) women evolved to complete SLE. CONCLUSIONS: OAPS shows differential characteristics than classical APS. All laboratory test categories are needed to avoid false-negative diagnoses. In some cases, complement levels could act as a serological marker. OAPS has very good foetal-maternal outcomes when treated. Thrombosis and progression to SLE in mothers with OAPS are scarce compared with "classical APS", suggesting that they have different aPL-mediated pathogenic mechanisms.