ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES - SPECIFICITY AND FUNCTION

Antibodies detected by solid phase anticardiolipin immunoassays are he terogeneous but understanding the nature of this heterogeneity has pro ven difficult. Differences in any of the following features may accoun t for differences in anticardiolipin antibodies: avidity for cardiolip in, phospholipid cross-reactivity, specificity for beta(2) glycoprotei n I (beta(2)GPI)-cardiolipin complexes, functional activity (as define d by the ability to inhibit phospholipid dependent coagulation reactio ns) and specificities for different conformations of phospholipids. Un derstanding these differences may be important in explaining the varia tions in clinical presentation of patients with these antibodies. This review attempts to define and discuss anticardiolipin heterogeneity.