Affiliation:
1. Department of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou China
2. The First Clinical Medical College of Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou China
Abstract
AbstractSettingPrevious studies addressed the association between anti‐thyroid antibodies and recurrent miscarriage (RM), however, the role of anti‐thyroid antibodies in RM patients is debatable.ObjectivesTherefore, we conducted this meta‐analysis and the aim of this current study was to assess whether anti‐thyroid peroxidase (anti‐TPO) and/or anti‐thyroglobulin (anti‐TG) antibody positivity was associated with RM.DesignA meta‐analysis was conducted.ParticipantsRecurrent miscarriage patients.MethodsSTATA 12.0 software were applied to compute odds ratios (ORs)/relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs regarding association between anti‐TPO and anti‐TG antibodies and the prevalence of RM.ResultsN = 28 studies (8875 participants) explored effect of anti‐thyroid antibodies on RM. Analysis of the 28 studies revealed significant association between anti‐TPO, anti‐TG antibodies and the prevalence of RM with a random effects model (OR/RR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.63–2.51, p < 0.001; I2 = 44.3%, p value for Q test = 0.004). Analysis of the 20 studies revealed significant association between anti‐TPO antibodies and the prevalence of RM with a random effects model (OR/RR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.25–2.03, p < 0.001; I2 = 43.1%, p value for Q test = 0.022). Analysis of the 14 studies revealed significant association between anti‐TG antibodies and the prevalence of RM with a random effects model (OR/RR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.56–3.23, p < 0.001; I2 = 49.2%, p value for Q test = 0.019).ConclusionsBased on the currently available analysis, our findings suggest that women with anti‐TPO and/or anti‐TG antibodies have a higher risk of RM than that in negative antibody women. Further investigation is needed to better clarify the exact role of the anti‐thyroid antibodies in RM and whether treatment is of benefit.LimitationsFirst, differences from various detection methods and reagents used in different studies may affect the diagnostic interpretation of anti‐thyroid antibodies, which might influence the accuracy of this meta‐analysis. Second, positive anti‐thyroid antibodies seem likely to be part of a more general disorder of maternal immune system, due to restrictions of funding and condition, a complete autoantibody screening investigation is hardly to conduct in all participants, and this could be a possible limitation of all included studies. Third, there is no mention of thyroxine therapy on RM, making the meta‐analysis even more limited.