ARTERIAL-DISEASE IN LUPUS AND SECONDARY ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME - ASSOCIATION WITH ANTI-BETA2-GLYCOPROTEIN-I ANTIBODIES BUT NOT WITH ANTIBODIES AGAINST OXIDIZED LOW-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN

The prevalence and clinical significance of antibodies against beta(2) -glycoprotein I (anti-beta(2)GPI) and antibodies against oxidized low- density lipoprotein (anti-ox-LDL) were evaluated as potential indicato rs of arterial disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus ( SLE) and SLE with secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). IgG anti- beta(2)GPI and IgG anti-ox-LDL were measured by enzyme-linked immunoso rbent assay (ELISA) in serum samples from 118 patients with SLE, inclu ding 40 with secondary APS. IgG anti-beta(2)GPI were positive in 17% ( 20/118) of SLE patients. The presence and titres of IgG anti-beta(2)GP I were strongly associated with a history of arterial thrombosis. Haem olytic anaemia was also significantly associated with the presence of IgG anti-beta(2)GPI. The prevalence of IgG anti-ox-LDL was 53% (63/118 ), but there was no association with arterial thrombosis. No correlati on between the values of anti-ox-LDL and those of anti-beta(2)GPI was found. These results suggest that IgG anti-beta(2)GPI could be a marke r for arterial thrombosis in SLE patients, while IgG anti-ox-LDL were not associated with arterial disease in this group of lupus patients.