title: Specificity and sensitivity of diluted aPTT and anticardiolipin antibodies towards thrombosis and miscarriages in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: In 36 patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lupus anticoagulant (LA), as assessed by aPTT and diluted aPTT, and anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) were studied. 14 patients, had a clinical history complicated by thrombosis and/or miscarriages. Among patients with thrombosis LA was positive in 42% and in 100% of patients when assessed by aPTT and diluted aPTT respectively; aCL were positive in 85.7% of patients. Among patients without a clinical history of thrombosis, 1 had prolonged aPTT, 3 had prolonged diluted aPTT and 5 had aCL positivity. Diluted aPTT was more sensitive than aPTT and aCL (p less than 0.01) to thrombosis and miscarriages; specificity to thrombosis and miscarriages ranged from 77.3% for aCL and 86.4% for diluted aPTT to 95.5% for aPTT but not significant differences were found. The study suggests that LA, as assessed by a sensitive test like diluted aPTT, is strongly associated to thrombosis and should therefore be considered an important risk factor.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di I Clinica Medica, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saliola
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quintarelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlucci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valesini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Violi
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D002308:Cardiolipins; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor