ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH EOSINOPHILIA MYALGIA ANDTOXIC OIL SYNDROME

Objective, To explore whether antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are ma rkers of vascular related damage or merely evidence of toxic related a utoimmunity, we investigated the presence of different aPL in patients with toxic oil syndrome (TOS) and compared the profile with patients with eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS). Methods, Reactivity against cardiolipin, P-serine, P-inositol, and P-choline was investigated by E LISA in the blood of 266 patients with acute and chronic TOS, 25 healt hy relatives of TOS patients, and 48 patients with EMS. Results, 32% o f TOS and 13% of EMS patients had IgG antibodies against cardiolipin a nd other polyanions. 20% of both TOS and EMS patients presented IgM an tibodies against anionic and zwitterionic phospholipids. 36% of TOS he althy relatives had IgM antibodies against differently charged phospho lipids. Among 200 patients with chronic TOS, there was no significant association between antibodies and clinical manifestations. Conclusion , aPL with different specificity are present in a high percentage of p atients with TOS and EMS. The significance of these antibodies remains unclear.