ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES - CLINICAL AND LABORATORY CONSIDERATIONS,PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND TREATMENT

Primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (PAPS) consists of thrombos is, recurrent fetal death, and thrombocytopenia. It is usually seen in the clinical context of systemic lupus erythematosus but can be found in patients with other diagnoses as well. Antiphospholipid antibodies (APL) exhibit a broad spectrum of immunologic specificities, and this reflects the wide variety of clinical situations in which APL are fou nd. Clinically significant APL that are associated with thrombosis or autoimmune disease either have lupus anticoagulant activity, detected by clotting tests, or bind neoantigens in ELISA. The antigens are form ed by interactions between phospholipid and (usually) beta-2 glycoprot ein in plasma. Treatment of patients with APL-associated clinical diso rders is reviewed.