title: Antiphospholipid antibodies in mixed connective tissue disease.
abstract: We studied the prevalence and clinical significance of antiphospholipid antibodies (ab) in 28 patients affected with well-defined mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Forty-two patients affected with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 60 healthy subjects were also evaluated, as controls. In MCTD the prevalence of anticardiolipin (aCL) ab was: IgG high level 17.8% (p less than 0.01 versus healthy controls), IgG low level 7.1% and IgM high level 7.1%. No patients had low level of aCL IgM, lupus anticoagulant or false positive VDRL. The aCL profile was similar to that found in SLE patients, but in SLE all prevalences were higher than in MCTD. Furthermore, in MCTD patients the aCL ab were correlated with thrombocytopenia but not with recurrent thrombosis and/or abortions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doria
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruffatti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calligaro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Del Ross
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghirardello
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Zambiasi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gambari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008947:Mixed Connective Tissue Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010743:Phospholipids