Association between endometriosis, infertility and autoimmune antiplatelet glycoprotein VI antibodies in two patients

Abstract

The association between endometriosis and autoimmune diseases is well known, however no acquired platelet function defect has been described so far. We describe the case of two patients with endometriosis associated with an antiplatelet glycoprotein VI (anti-GPVI) antibody. The two women with deep pelvic endometriosis associated with secondary infertility presented a mild bleeding tendency, a deficient platelet aggregation response to collagen, convulxin or CRP and a severe GPVI deficiency. Immunoblot revealed a combined FcRγ deficiency but no indication of GPVI cleavage. In the first case, platelet count was normal and an anti-GPVI IgG was detected in plasma. A first corticosteroids administration normalized in vitro platelet functions but further administrations were unsuccessful. Three IVF attempts failed. Conservative laparoscopic surgery was carried out after antifibrinolytic treatment without bleeding. The second case presented with a history of moderate thrombocytopenia and a weak anti-GPVI in the context of infertility and autoimmune disease, the Sjögren syndrome resolved after corticosteroids and hydroxychloroquine treatment. Acquired GPVI deficiencies are rare. It would be useful to determine whether the association with endometriosis is coincidental or not by more systematic investigations. It does not seem that in these patients, GPVI deficiency is associated with an increased risk of bleeding.

Keywords

• autoantibodies
• auto-immune diseases
• endometriosis
• glycoprotein vi
• infertility
• platelets