Prevalence and risk factors of antinuclear antibodies among pregnant women: A cross-sectional study in Qingdao, China.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and specific patterns of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) and to identify potential risk factors among Chinese pregnant women.

METHODS

ANAs were detected by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) method using HEp-2 cell antigen. The magnetic bar code immunofluorescent luminescence method was used to detect specific ANAs. Socio-demographic information, lifestyle elements and other data were obtained in the Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital from a questionnaire-based interviews.

RESULTS

We analyzed 2159 Chinese pregnant women in their first trimester of pregnancy. The ANAs prevalence was 14.7 %. The most common antibody titer was 1:100 (n=241, 11.2 %), followed by 1:320 (n=55, 2.5 %) and >1:320 (n=22, 1.0 %). The most common staining pattern was nuclear speckled type (n=95, 30.0 %), followed by nuclear dense fine speckled (n=82, 25.8 %), cytoplasmic (n=39, 12.3 %), homogeneous (n=30, 9.4 %) and nucleolar (n=19, 6.0 %).The common specific ANAs included SSA (n=37,11.6 %), Ro52 (n=33,10.3 %), AMA-M2(n=16, 5.0 %),and SSB (n=20, 6.3 %),etc. Passive smoking, age at 30-34 years, multiparity, pre-pregnancy thyroid diseases and hypertension significantly increased the probability of ANA positivity.

CONCLUSIONS

ANAs were present in 14.7 % of Chinese women during their first trimester of pregnancy. Passive smoking, multiparity, pre-pregnancy thyroid diseases, and hypertension were significantly associated with ANA positivity.