DETECTION OF ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES BY FLOW-CYTOMETRY - RAPID DETECTION OF ANTIBODY ISOTYPE AND PHOSPHOLIPID SPECIFICITY

Laboratory diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibodies is important in pa tients with clinical features of the antiphospholipid syndrome, such a s thrombosis and fetal loss. We have developed a novel method for the detection of antiphospholipid antibodies using flow cytometry. Anionic phospholipids cardiolipin, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinosito l are coated onto polystyrene beads of different sizes, allowing detec tion and semiquantitation of their respective phospholipid antibody is otypes. The results of the flow cytometric method closely correlate th ose of the standardised anticardiolipin enzyme-linked immunosorbent as say (ELISA), but the method. is quicker and is versatile in its abilit y to detect IgG, IgM and IgA antibody isotypes at the same time. The m ethod promises to be useful in evaluating the significance of phosphol ipid specificity and antibody isotypes in patients with the antiphosph olipid syndrome.