Sociodemographic characteristics and thrombophilic mutations in women with in vitro fertilization failure – initial results from case control study

There are many factors for in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure, and hereditary thrombophilia has been mentioned as one of them in the last few years. Thrombophilia is a condition of predisposition to thromboembolism. The aim of the study was to evaluate the sociodemographic characteristics and to examine the representation of thrombophilic mutations in women with IVF failure. Material and methods: In a retrospective-prospective case-control study we evaluated 52 women, divided in two groups. Twenty-twowomen with at least three IVF failures were included in the examined group (EG). Thirty women, age matched, who gave birth to at least one healthy child without obstetric complications were included in the control group. Presence of gene mutations for factor II Prothrombin (G20210A), factor V Leiden (FVL) and methylentetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T) was examined in both groups. Sociodemographic data, data from personal, family and obstetric anamnesis was collected with standard questionnaire. Results: Representation of nationality in both groups roughly corresponds to the national structure in Republic of Macedonia. In both groups the most prevalent age was from 30 to 34 years (40% in the CG and 50% in the EG). According to the degree of education, homogeneity between the two groups was registered. In most of the EG, MTHFR heterozygous was 63.6% vs. 56.7% in the CG, followed by the FV Leiden heterozygous with 13.6% vs. 3.3% in the CG, MTHFR homozygous with 9.1% vs. 6.7% in CG, factor II Prothrombin (G20210A) heterozygous with 4.5% vs. 6.7 in CG. 72.7% of women in the EG and 60% in the CG had one thrombophilic mutation, and 9.1% of women in EG and 6.7% in CG had two thrombophilic mutations. 18.2% of women in EG and 33.3% in CG did not have any mutations. Conclusion: The sociodemographic profile of women with IVF failure is a woman aged between 30 and 34 years with a university degree, with at least one thrombophilic mutation. Thrombophilic mutation has not been registered in only a small percentage of women with failed IVF.