title: A prospective epidemiological study on the occurrence of antiphospholipid antibody: the Montpellier Antiphospholipid (MAP) Study.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of elevated antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) in a large series of patients admitted to a department of Internal Medicine. At the end of entry phase, 1014 patients were tested (488 males-526 females, mean age: 66.7 years, range 18-97). Seventy-two (7.1%) patients were found APA positive at least once: 44 males and 28 females, mean age 69 years, range 23 to 94. Twenty fulfilled the criteria of Primary Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome: 10 patients were referred for deep vein thrombosis, 3 had history of deep vein thrombosis, 1 had both arterial thrombosis and a history of venous thrombosis; 2 had thrombocytopenia; 3 had stroke, 1 had a history of a stroke. One patient had SLE according to ARA classification. The most frequent associated disease was cancer: 14 patients, 9 had evolutive malignant disease, 5 were in clinical remission of neoplasia. Other clinical conditions included chronic and/or acute alcoholic intoxication (n = 8), severe atherosclerosis (n = 4), leg ulcer (n = 4). Insufficient data are available about the evolution, but 7 patients died in the year following diagnosis. Eight patients had fluctuations in APA detection: 2 initially APA positive became negative, 5 initially negative became positive and 1 patient was alternatively positive, negative and positive without steroid treatment. Thus, as expected, APA occur in a variety of clinical disorders. The association with cancer or alcoholic intoxication deserves further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Haematology, Hôpital Saint-Eloi, University Hospital, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Schved
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dupuy-Fons
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biron
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Quére
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Janbon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood*; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid