Usefulness of screening for congenital or acquired hemostatic abnormalities in women with previous complicated pregnancies.

Activated protein C resistance (APCR) is a common cause of familial thrombophilia and venous thrombosis. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of APCR associated with factor V Leiden mutation and its relevance in comparison to other risk factors for thromboembolic disorders in women with a history of previous complicated pregnancies (history of fetal loss in the second and third trimester n = 34, preeclampsia n = 46). The frequency of APCR was significantly higher in women with a history of fetal loss and preeclampsia (23.5 and 26.1%, respectively) compared with a control group (3.8%). The prevalence of antithrombin, protein C and protein S deficiencies and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies were also investigated: the prevalence of at least one disorder was 41.2% in the group with previous fetal loss, 37.0% in the group with previous preeclampsia and 7.5% in the control group.