CUTANEOUS LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS AND PHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES - OCCURRENCE AND CLINICAL SYMPTOMS

In recent years, the importance of antiphospholipid antibodies in syst emic lupus erythematosus and various other dermatological and internal diseases has been recognized. Characteristic symptoms associated with these antibodies are venous and arterial thrombosis, recurrent fetal loss, thrombocytopenia, and haemolytic anaemia. Two antiphospholipid a ntibody subgroups that are clinically relevant can be discerned: antic ardiolipin antibodies and lupus coagulant. In this study, 51 clinicall y well-characterized patients with predominantly cutaneous lupus eryth ematosus were screened for the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies. Anticardiolipin antibodies could be detected in only three patients. These data suggest that, in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosu s, anticardiolipin antibodies should be measured only in the presence of symptoms associated with antiphospholipid antibodies.