Lupus anticoagulants and antiphospholipid antibodies

In recent years, clinical syndromes involving lupus anticoagulants and anti phospholipid antibodies have come into increasing clinical prominence. Sinc e the discovery that most antiphospholipid antibodies require the presence of anionic phospholipid-binding proteins such as B2-glycoprotein I and prot hrombin, a large number of studies have attempted to delineate the specific ity of these antibodies. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain t he hypercoagulable state associated with these antibodies. This review atte mpts to summarize these data and the challenges that confront efforts to de lineate the pathogenesis of the prothrombotic state associated with the pre sence of these antibodies.