Abnormal IgG cardiolipin antibody titers in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and/or related disorders: prevalence and clinical significance.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of antibodies to cardiolipin (a-CL) in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and/or related disorders (rD) is not known.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of these antibodies.


METHODS
We assayed IgG a-CL in 230 consecutive patients with RP/rD and compared the results with those in a series of 230 control blood donors.


RESULTS
Sixteen percent of patients were a-CL positive versus 7.8% of the control donors (p = 0.014). The prevalence of a-CL positivity was 8.7% for primary RP, 10.5% for secondary RP, 8% for chilblains, 25% for essential acrocyanosis, 20% for connective tissue diseases, and 17% for undifferentiated connective tissue diseases. Among patients with digital necrosis, 24% were a-CL positive.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of abnormal a-CL titers is higher in patients with RP/rD than in control donors, especially in patients with a connective tissue disease.
Vayssairat
M
M
Laboratory of Microcirculation, Hôpital Tenon, Paris, France.
Abuaf
N
N
Baudot
N
N
Deschamps
A
A
Gaitz
J P
JP
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin