Summary
Women with thrombophilias and previous placenta-mediated pregnancy complications (PMPC)
have an increased risk of both recurrent PMPC and venous thromboembolism (VTE) during
subsequent pregnancies. We aimed to examine whether enoxaparin dose adjusted according
to anti-factor Xa levels compared to a fixed dose would reduce the risk of PMPC in
subsequent pregnancies. In a randomised trial, conducted at a single teaching hospital,
pregnant women with thrombophilia and previous PMPC were enrolled in a 1:1 ratio to
either a fixed dose of 40 mg daily enoxaparin or adjusted dose according to anti-factor
Xa plasma levels. The primary outcome was a composite that included any of the following:
pregnancy loss after enrollment, pre-eclampsia, birthweight <10th percentile, placental
abruption, or VTE. Overall, 144 women were needed to detect a decrease of 20 % in
the incidence of the composite outcome among the adjusted dose group. Between 2009
and 2015, 144 women consented; four in the fixed-dose group were excluded. Overall,
66 and 74 in the fixed- and adjusted-dose groups, respectively, were included. Demographic
and obstetric characteristics were comparable. Composite outcome occurred in 12 (18.2
%) and 20 (27.0 %) women in the fixed- and adjusted-dose groups, respectively (p=0.24).
Gestational age at delivery, preterm births, and birthweights were similar between
the two groups. In conclusion, dose of enoxaparin adjusted according to anti-factor
Xa levels compared to fixed dose, does not reduce the risk of PMPC recurrence in thrombophilic
women.
ClinicalTrial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01068795.
Keywords
Anti-factor Xa - low-molecular-weight heparin - placenta-mediated pregnancy complications
- thrombophilia