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3 Interesting Facts of Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
1. One-in-five rule: 20% of unprovoked deep vein thrombosis (DVT), 20% of young adult strokes, and 20% of miscarriages/placental ischemic conditions are due to antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS).
2. Over 50% of patients who have had a clot or miscarriage due to antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL abs) will have a recurrence without therapy.
3. Anticoagulation and not immunosuppression is the main therapy to prevent recurrent thrombosis.
What are Antiphospholipid Antibodies?
aPL abs are a heterogeneous group of antibodies that bind to plasma proteins with an affinity for phospholipid surfaces.
Most of the antigens (e.g., prothrombin and β2-glycoprotein I [β2GPI]) are involved in blood coagulation. These antibodies include the lupus anticoagulant (LA), anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL abs), anti-β2GPI antibodies, and anti-phosphatidylserine-dependent prothrombin (anti-PS/PT) antibodies.
In a given patient, one or more of these antibodies may be present.
