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Book

Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Jean G. Bustamante  1 , Amandeep Goyal  2 , Preeti Rout  3 , Mayank Singhal  4
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Book

Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Jean G. Bustamante et al.
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Excerpt

Antiphospholipid antibodies (APLAs) are autoantibodies that target phospholipid-binding proteins. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a multisystemic autoimmune disorder. The hallmark of APS comprises the persistent presence of APLAs in the setting of arterial and venous thrombus or pregnancy loss.

The most common sites for venous and arterial thrombosis are the lower limbs and cerebral arterial circulation, respectively. However, thrombosis can occur in any organ. Laboratory tests, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and functional assays, are used to identify APS. The 3 known APLAs include:

  1. Anticardiolipin antibodies IgG or IgM (ELISA)

  2. Anti-beta-2-glycoprotein-I (anti-β2GPI) antibodies IgG or IgM (ELISA)

  3. Lupus anticoagulants (functional clotting assays)

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Jean Bustamante declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Amandeep Goyal declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Preeti Rout declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Mayank Singhal declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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    1. Garcia D, Erkan D. Diagnosis and Management of the Antiphospholipid Syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2018 Sep 27;379(13):1290. - PubMed
    1. Levine JS, Branch DW, Rauch J. The antiphospholipid syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2002 Mar 07;346(10):752-63. - PubMed
    1. Grygiel-Górniak B, Mazurkiewicz Ł. Positive antiphospholipid antibodies: observation or treatment? J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2023 Aug;56(2):301-314. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arvieux J, Renaudineau Y, Mane I, Perraut R, Krilis SA, Youinou P. Distinguishing features of anti-beta2 glycoprotein I antibodies between patients with leprosy and the antiphospholipid syndrome. Thromb Haemost. 2002 Apr;87(4):599-605. - PubMed

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