Hi Scarlett,

I am no haematologist but my understanding is this:

What the doctor would have tested for (besides ANA and others) is the lupus anticoagulant which can be present or absent in women with lupus and which is what I assume you saw that came back negative. The lupus anticoagulant is raised in many autoimmune disorders. That is it is a non specific autoimmune marker. SLE (systemic lupus erythrematosus) which is what google would have pointed you to is tested for 'most specifically' by ANA. If raised, you can be suspicious that diagnosis is SLE, but again as with all the autoimmune diseases, diagnosis is largely on clinical basis with these tests being 'supportive' in evidence. Many women have raised ANA, but no clinical manifestation of SLE, thus having the ANA again does not mean you have the disease.

Basically, your blood tests just says that you have a raised level of autoimmune antibodies, with suspicion of SLE (ie you may or may not have it), which have most probably contributed to your recurrent miscarriages. Without having other systemic problems, ie. kidnes, heart, nervous etc., it would be a very hard diagnosis to make on the basis of one abnormal blood marker.

Does this makes sense?

These autoimmune markers in blood have 'clinical associations' ie, women with lupus anticoagulant, or ANA, or anticardiolipin all have increased risk of clotting (alas to a varying degree). Different combinations of these blood markers as well as systemic problems lead to a diagnosis of a particular disease.

The 'speckled' thing is nothing to worry about - just the pathologist way of describing what they see under the microscope ( and I am afraid hard to explain without seeing the rest of the sentence....)

Hope this helps.

Love
Gabby