Anticardiolipin antibodies and risk of thromboembolic disease in young Jamaican women.
BACKGROUND
Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) are a heterogeneous group of antiphospholipid antibodies that are associated with arterial and venous thrombosis. We measured aCL in women, aged 15-49 years, to determine if they are an independent risk factor for thromboembolic disease.


METHODS
Case--control study


METHODS
Fifty cases were studied including venous thromboembolism (n=29), stroke and myocardial infarction (n=21), along with 148 age-matched controls. Serum samples were assayed for aCL and anti-beta2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Information on other risk factors was obtained by a standardized questionnaire.


RESULTS
aCL were present in 16/50 (32%) of cases compared with 25/148 (17%) of controls (P[?]=[?]0.02). Unadjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for thromboembolic disease associated with aCL was 2.32 (1.10--4.87). Other risk factors were hypertension, 2.93 (1.20--7.17) and a history of other heart diseases, 12.78 (1.32--123.60). Adjustment for hypertension, diabetes, oral contraceptive use, smoking, alcohol use, varicose veins, a family history of cardiovascular disease and a history of other heart diseases yielded OR (95%CI) 2.99 (1.32--6.80). beta2 glycoprotein 1-dependent aCL were also an independent risk factor, OR 4.56 (1.76--17.83). Subgroup analysis was carried out separately for cases of MI and stroke and for venous thrombosis. Adjusted OR (95% CI) associated with aCL in cases of MI and stroke was 1.76 (0.46--6.73) and 3.32 (1.15--9.54) for venous thromboembolism.


CONCLUSIONS
aCL are a risk factor for thromboembolic disease in young Jamaican women. They confer a strong independent risk for venous thromboembolism.
Kahwa
E K
EK
Tropical Medicine Research Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica.
Sargeant
L A
LA
McFarlane-Anderson
N
N
Smikle
M F
MF
Forrester
T
T
Wilks
R J
RJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007563:Jamaica; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000276:immunology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000276:immunology; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I