Antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies contribute to the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the correlation between antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies (aPE) and some antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL)-related clinical manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).


METHODS
Patients with SLE (n=217) were tested for the presence of aPE, anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), and lupus anticoagulant (LA). The prospective aPL-related clinical manifestations studied were: thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, recurrent fetal losses, heart valvulopathies, hemolytic anemia, livedo reticularis, and pulmonary hypertension.


RESULTS
A total of 109 SLE patients (50.23%) were IgG aPE-positive; 17.51% presented aPE as the sole autoantibody and had some clinical features of aPL-related clinical manifestations. IgG aPE were associated to the presence of heart valvulopathies (p=0.002). A statistical difference was also found when considering high levels of IgG aPE (O.D.>0.600) in patients with livedo reticularis (p=0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation of IgG aPE may allow us to detect some more patients with aPL-related clinical manifestations in the SLE population, aPE correlated particularly with valvulopathies and livedo reticularis.
Balada
E
E
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain.
Ordi-Ros
J
J
Paredes
F
F
Villarreal
J
J
Mauri
M
M
Vilardell-Tarrés
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor / Q000097:blood; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000276:immunology*; D017445:Skin Diseases, Vascular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D001323:Autoantibodies; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines