title: What causes the antiphospholipid syndrome?
abstract: The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by unpredictable, sporadic, thrombotic events. The cause of the thrombosis is probably multifactorial and may involve disparate effects of the autoantibodies associated with the syndrome, which are known to interfere with various protein regulators of hemostasis. An integrated theory of pathogenesis that accounts for the diversity of autoantibodies and their effects suggests that cellular inflammation or apoptosis within the vasculature may lead to oxidation or turnover in phospholipid membranes. Thus, normally cryptic, functionally important epitopes of phospholipid-binding proteins are subjected to increased exposure to immune surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, 432 West 58th Street, Antenucci Building, New York, NY 10019, USA. jtm5@columbia.edu
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Merrill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017209:Apoptosis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018455:Protein S Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D001323:Autoantibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D010743:Phospholipids