ASSOCIATION OF ANTIMITOCHONDRIAL ANTIBODIES TYPE-5 AND ANTI-BETA(2)-GLYCOPROTEIN-I ANTIBODIES IN THE ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID-SYNDROME

Objective. To evaluate if antimitochondrial type 5 antibodies (AMA5) m ight be included among antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) markers. Method s. In a retrospective study, blood variables of 48 patients with AMA5 were analyzed in relationship with clinical and biological markers of APS and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Results. We observed a hig h prevalence of false biological test for syphilis (95%), lupus antico agulant (LAC) (71%), anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) of IgG (71%) and IgM (75%) isotype, positive direct Coombs' test (54%), thrombocytopen ia (52%), anti-B-2 glycoprotein I antibodies (38%). Twenty-nine patien ts (61%) had at least one clinical manifestation of APS; 42% had recur rent arterial and/or venous deep thrombosis and 21% had recurrent feta l loss. But, for 2 patients, AMA5 were the sole detected immunological marker. Moreover, SLE was observed in 35% of the patients. These were different from 100 control patients with SLE with the respect to skin involvement and dsDNA antibodies which were less frequent (p <0.01) a nd aCL, LAC, false biological test for syphilis (p <0.001), positive d irect Coombs' test and thrombocytopenia (p <0.05) which were more freq uent. Conclusion. Our data suggests (1) AMA5 is another marker of the APS (2) in patients with SLE, AMA5 seems to be a marker of a subset of SLE. This appears to justify the routine detection of these antibodie s.