Antiphospholipid syndrome: State of the art with emphasis on laboratory evaluation

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) are associated with arterial and venous thrombosis, recurrent pregnancy loss and thrombocytopenia. Although aPLs ha ve not yet been con elusively shown to be causal in thrombosis and miscarri age, they are useful laboratory markers for the antiphospholipid syndrome ( APS). The syndrome can complicate another autoimmune disease, most commonly systemic lupus erythematosus, but more often occurs alone - primary APS. I dentification of the syndrome is clinically important because of the risk o f recurrent thrombosis and the need for antithrombotic therapy in many case s. Diagnosis and treatment of APS represent significant challenges, however , owing to the protean clinical manifestations and associations, limitation s of currently available laboratory tests for aPLs, and the lack of clear e vidence-based guidance on optimal management. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG Basel.