IMMUNOMODULATION OF EXPERIMENTAL APS - LESSONS FROM MURINE MODELS

During the last few years several murine models for APS have been desc ribed. These include spontaneous occurring disease, or APS induced by immunization with pathogenic autoantibodies. Employing those models, s everal treatment modalities, in different stages of the disease, were studied. Treatments which showed promising potential for application i n patients with APS include immunomodulation with specific anti-idioty pic or anti-CD4 antibodies, treatment with IL-3, high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins, ciprofloxacin or bromocriptine, as well as antithrom botic and anticoagulant treatments using aspirin and/or low-molecular- weight heparin. Bone-marrow transplantation was also found to improve clinical and serological manfestations of the disease. These studies m ight promote the handling of controlled clinical trials assessing thei r efficacy in APS patients.