Antiphospholipid Antibodies: Anticardiolipin and the Lupus Anticoagulant in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and in Non-SLE Disorders

Abstract

The results of predominantly retrospective series suggest that for certain persons (patients with SLE or closely related disorders) antiphospholipid antibodies may be important risk factors for thrombosis, neurologic disease, thrombocytopenia, and fetal loss. Standardized tests for lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin, as well as long-term, prospective clinical studies, are needed to determine the prognostic value of antiphospholipid antibodies.

Antibodies to β2‐glycoprotein I and clinical manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

“…These numbers are low compared with the findings in previous studies, in which aCL was present in 20-60% of SLE patients (15). Possible explanations for this discrepancy include the following: 1) Most patients in our study were receiving steroid therapy at the time the samples were obtained; 2) there was substantial heterogeneity in the SLE population studied; 3) unlike conventional aCL assays, the anti-P,GPI EIA used in this study detects only P,GPI-dependent aCL and not P,GPI-independent aCL; and 4) aCL cofactors other than P,GPI may be present in some patients.…”

“…Patients with high titers of aPL are prone to a variety of thrombotic episodes and to fetal loss (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). Antiphospholipid antibodies can be detected by lupus anticoagulant (LAC) assay or by enzyme immunoassays (EIA) against phospholipids.…”

“…Studies have established the importance of anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) for predicting thrombotic symptoms and fetal loss in patients with SLE (for review, see ref. 15). …”

Autoantibodies and neuropsychiatric events at the time of systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis: Results from an international inception cohort study

“…In general, the prevalence of autoantibodies was lower than that reported in other lupus cohorts (20,21,34,35). However, this was the first study to measure this complete panel of autoantibodies in a disease inception cohort, which, in combination with our efforts to minimize nonspecific antibody binding, is probably the explanation for the lower prevalence rates.…”

Antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with autoimmune blistering disease

“…The serological markers for this syndrome are antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs), such as the lupus anticoagulant (LA), anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL) 5,6 , antibody against anticardiolipin β 2 -glycoprotein I complex antibody (CL/β 2 GPI), and anti-phosphatidylserine-prothrombin complex antibody (aPS/PT) 7,8 . aPLs are frequently found in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, especially in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).…”