Transient Anti-Phospholipid Antibodies in Two Patients With COVID-19

Abstract

We report two cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients who developed pulmonary embolism and transient anti-phospholipid antibodies. At the time of presentation with acute pulmonary embolism, both patients had leukocytosis and increased levels of anti-cardiolipin antibodies, which resolved at testing 12 weeks after initial presentation. Studying cases of pulmonary embolism and increased anti-phospholipid antibodies in the context of COVID-19 could be one of the factors for elucidating the possible connection between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, anti-phospholipid antibodies, and thrombosis.

Systematic Review of Antiphospholipid Antibodies in COVID-19 Patients: Culprits or Bystanders?

“…Only two reports were cohort studies with repeated assays for aPL after one month for the first [ 13 ••] and between 3 and 6 months for the second [ 52 ]. Eight publications were case reports from two to six patients [ 9 , 17 , 30 , 33 , 34 , 36 , 38 , 51 ]. Other publications were cross-sectional studies.…”

Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Patients with Covid-19: Trend Over Time

“…Xiao and colleagues evaluated the dynamic changes in aPL levels in 6 COVID-19 patients over a period of 60 to 77 days from disease onset; the results obtained suggest that aPL levels are fluctuating and they encouraged further studies with a long-term follow-up on COVID-19 patients positive for aPL [4]. Indeed, to date, only 2 case reports have tested aPL on a second occasion after at least three months in aPL positive COVID-19 patients [14,15]. At the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which aPL-positive COVID-19 patients were re-tested after at least 12 weeks apart.…”