TAKAYASU ARTERITIS .4. ABSENCE OF AUTOANT IBODIES AND CLOTTING FIBRINOLYSIS ABNORMALITIES

The etiopathogenesis of the non-specific arteritis known as Takayasu's arteritis, an inflammatory occlusive disease of the aorta and its mai n branches, is unknown. We searched for abnormalities in clotting and fibrinolytic systems, as well as the presence of non-organ specific au toantibodies, including those potentially reactive with vascular endot helium, in 21 untreated patients. There were only minor abnormalites i n coagulation and fibrinolysis in a few patients, and the occasional p resence of non-organ specific antibodies, including antiphospholipid a ntibodies. The findings had no clinical relevance. This study suggests that there is no support for a significative role of humoral immunity , coagulation and fibrinolysis in the pathogenesis of Takayasu's arter itis.