Portal hypertension associated with anticardiolipin antibodies in a case of systemic lupus erythematosus.
A 26-year-old man with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and a history of acute myocardial infarction developed portal hypertension accompanied by abnormal liver function and esophageal varices. As his clinical course suggested the possibility of antiphospholipid syndrome, a titer of anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) was serially measured using an enzyme immunoassay with beta 2-glycoprotein I as a cofactor. The titer of aCL increased with the development of portal hypertension, and promptly decreased with the improvement of liver function just after corticosteroid therapy. The long-term course in this case suggests that aCL may cause portal hypertension associated with SLE.
Takahaski
C
C
Second Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Kumagai
S
S
Tsubata
R
R
Sorachi
K
K
Ozaki
S
S
Imura
H
H
Nakao
K
K
D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000209:etiology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin