Patient's question:
I am a 28-year-old woman. Last year, I had a pregnancy test and found out that I had a mycoplasma infection. I took medicine and got injections for more than two months, but it didn't get better. The doctor said that as long as I don't have symptoms, I don't need to worry about this disease. A few days ago, I had an infertility blood test and found out that I am positive for anticardiolipin antibodies. The doctor said it could lead to infertility or miscarriage. How is this disease caused? How is it treated? Is there a connection between mycoplasma infection and being positive for anticardiolipin antibodies? I have never been pregnant before, nor have I had a miscarriage, and I have never had unprotected sex.Doctor's answer:
Association Between Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Unexplained Fetal Intrauterine Growth RetardationAntiphospholipid syndrome (APS) often causes pregnancy loss, fetal intrauterine growth retardation, preeclampsia, and other complications, with its pathogenesis remaining controversial. It is now believed that antiphospholipid antibodies produced in the body induce thrombus formation, which is the primary factor in placental thrombosis and pregnancy failure.
Pregnancy complicated by APS frequently leads to severe maternal complications, such as preeclampsia, recurrent miscarriage, intrauterine fetal death, preterm birth, and adverse fetal outcomes like intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The appearance of this antibody may be related to infections, such as mumps or hepatitis A, but whether it is definitely associated with mycoplasma or chlamydia infections remains unclear.
Treatment is simple: oral low-dose aspirin.