Serum cardiolipin antibodies in cancer patients with thromboembolic events

This study was undertaken to investigate a possible association of anticard iolipin antibodies (ACLAs) in cancer patients with thromboembolic events. T wenty-five patients with solid tumors complicated with acute thrombosis, 36 cancer patients without any thrombotic events, and a group of 20 healthy v olunteers without thrombosis or malignancy were included. The mean age of t he cancer patients with and without thrombosis and healthy subjects were 50 years (range 20-75), 45 years (range 23-66), and 40 years (range 20-68), r espectively Deep venous thrombosis (n = 16) and thrombosis of the central v enous port-catheter systems (n = 9) were confirmed by Doppler sonography in all patients. Ige and IgM isotypes of ACLAs were: quantitated by enzyme-li nked immunosorbent assay with normal levels of <23 GPL and <11 MPL, respect ively. Mean values of IgG ACLAs were found similar in cancer patients with acute thrombosis (13.8 +/- 4.9 GPL), without thrombosis (12.8 +/- 5.4 GPL) or in healthy subjects (14.8 +/- 5.5 GPL). Although the mean values of IgM ACLAs were within normal limits in all groups, cancer patients with thrombo tic events had higher levels of IgM ACLAs (mean = 10.5 +/- 2.2 MPL) than ca ncer patients without thrombosis (mean = 4.6 +/- 2.3 MPL) (p = .01). Health y subjects also had lower levels of IgM ACLAs (mean = 7.1 +/- 3.2 MPL) than cancer patients with thrombosis (p = .16). In addition, a higher percentag e of cancer patients with or without thrombosis had IgM and IgG ACLA levels above normal limits compared with healthy controls. In conclusion, our stu dy suggests an association between ACLAs or Ige and particularly IgM isotyp es and venous thrombosis in malignancy. Identification of cancer patients w ho are at higher risk for developing thromboembolic events might lead to a better selection of patients for prophylactic anticoagulant therapy.